


Wave Watcher

by CarlyCo



Category: Graceland (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, F/M, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Jealousy, References to Drugs, Undercover as a Couple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-16 15:15:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 42,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/863455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarlyCo/pseuds/CarlyCo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike takes the death of a suspect hard and Charlie is the only one that can get through to him. The only question is where do they go from here?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Disgrace

**Author's Note:**

> I am just dipping my toe into writing fanfiction so I welcome all reviews. This story has five total chapters and there may be a sequel if there is enough interest. I don't have a beta so all mistakes belong to me.

Charlie stood in front of the open sliding doors and gazed out at the beach. The full moon hung low in the sky and illuminated the landscape so that a figure sitting in the sand was just visible. She pulled the loose fitting flannel shirt tighter around her body to fight off the chill of the night air.

Paul walked up behind Charlie and followed her gaze. He didn’t need to ask what she was looking at. It was the same scene she watched for the last two nights. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a half hug.

“You can’t fix this for him, Charlie.”

“He’s green, Paul. Quantico doesn’t prepare you for the reality of watching someone blow their brains out. They don’t train you how to deal with the guilt of feeling relieved that it is someone else’s brains splattered on ground in a junkyard and not your own.”

Paul said, “It is better for him to learn how gray our world is while he still has a choice. Mike doesn’t have to be an agent, but he is the only one that can make that decision.”

“He blames us,” Charlie whispered.

Paul and Charlie had a long friendship. It was rare to see her so undone by anything. For a reason he could not quite understand she developed a soft spot for Mike almost immediately.

“So he does. Eventually he will realize that we did what was necessary to protect his cover and save his life. The chance for a working relationship is over after a man tracks you down at gunpoint. People die. Any day you aren’t the person that dies is a good day. Don’t you have a meet in the morning?”

Charlie shook her head, “Tomorrow night. Bronson changed the time and the location. We’ll be going in hot as soon as I make the buy.”

Paul gave her shoulder a squeeze and walked away. He knew there was nothing more for him to say. Charlie was an experienced agent and knew how to take care of herself. If she felt the need to worry about Mike, then she could handle that too.

She stood there for another hour watching in silence. The figure sitting close to the shore scarcely moved at all. It was like watching a statue. When Charlie couldn’t take anymore she went to the kitchen and whipped up her specialty. There was no finesse in the cocktail aptly named, disgrace. It was meant to get you plastered. It was meant to make you numb.

Instead of traditional shot glasses, she poured the concoction into two 24-ounce tumblers.

Charlie walked out onto the beach and lightly nudged Mike with her foot.

He glanced over his shoulder and said, “I’m not ready to come inside.”

“I know, but I thought you might like some company and something to drink.”

Mike closed his eyes for a moment. His instincts told him to send Charlie away, but instead his nodded slowly.

Charlie lowered herself into the sand balancing their drinks perfectly. The pair were sitting so close that their legs touched. She knew how important contact was in a situation like this. Human contact was the only thing that could anchor an agent that was floating away.

He reached over and took one of the glasses without question. He took a large gulp and nearly dropped the glass.

He rasped, “What the hell is in this?”

Charlie smirked, “A little bit of everything: triple sec, tequila, coconut rum, gin, vodka, everclear, and pineapple juice. I call it my disgrace.”

Mike’s eyes widened. “If I drink this I won’t be able to move in the morning.”

“That is kind of the point. After you drink this, you’ll just pass out. I’ve found that passing out is the best way to avoid dreaming,” Charlie explained.

The expression on Mike’s face made it clear that Charlie had struck the right chord. He was sitting on the beach for the third night in a row because he was afraid to sleep. Mike kept picturing the blood spurting from the top of Eddie’s skull. It was shocking how much damage a single well-placed bullet could do.

He raised the glass to his lips taking an even larger gulp. If Charlie said this would work then he was willing to try it. Mike felt like a zombie after nearly 72 hours with no sleep.  He knew that he couldn’t keep this going for much longer. However, Mike wasn’t interested in waking up screaming in a cold sweat.

The two fell into a companionable silence. Each of them struggling with their own demons and letting the alcohol numb their senses.

Charlie glanced over at his empty glass and asked, “Do you want another?”

Mike declined, “I’m pretty sure a second glass would give me alcohol poisoning.”

He stood up pulling off his t-shirt as he moved. Mike kicked off his flip-flops and walked into the surf. He closed his eyes feeling the waves crash against his legs.

Mike continued to wade into the water despite its chilling temperature. Soon enough he was in the water up to his neck. He closed his eyes and ducked underwater to wet his face and hair.

When he resurfaced, he saw Charlie standing at the water’s edge stripping down to her bra and panties.

She made her way over to Mike and said, “You know you don’t have to go through this alone.”

Mike scrubbed a tired hand over his face.

“I know that if I need something you guys are here for me,” Mike recited with more than a little sarcasm.

Charlie shook her head and reached out to cradle his face in her hands.

“I am here for you if you need me, Mike. You can trust me. You can always trust me,” Charlie whispered.

He leaned his forehead against hers and didn’t say anything in response. His brain was screaming at him to push her away but he couldn’t find the strength to do that. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Charlie and pulled her in so that she was pressed flat against his body.

Being that close to another human being was comforting. He tried his best to connect with a few girls at the bar but didn’t have the energy to perpetrate a lie. He hated being undercover. He hated the position that the bureau was putting him in. In this moment, he needed to be able to confide to his training officer and yet he was sent here to investigate him. How was he supposed to investigate a man he was entrusting his life to on a daily basis.

He leaned down more and kissed Charlie with desperation. The kiss was forceful, urgent, and passionate all at the same time. His hands slid up Charlie’s back until they met her bra.

Before Charlie knew what was happening Mike’s agile hands unclasped her bra and moved to cup her breasts. His thumbs rubbed gentle circles around her already hardened nipples.

Mike paused and moved back. “I’m sorry. You should go back inside, Charlie. I’ll be fine out here on my own.”

“Do you trust me?” asked Charlie.

“Yes…”

“Then come with me.”

Charlie grasped Mike’s hand and led him out of the water. She led him right past their clothes, glasses, and his beach towels. They could retrieve those items in the morning or they might be stolen. She didn’t really care.

Mike found himself following Charlie obediently. He didn’t question her intentions for a moment. Mike was just grateful she didn’t karate chop him for kissing her without permission.

Soon enough they arrived in Charlie’s bedroom. She locked the door and dropped her bra on the floor. Charlie shoved Mike back on the bed and hooked her thumbs into the blue green bikini she was wearing.

Mike swallowed thickly as his eyes roamed over Charlie’s nude body. He thought she was beautiful but this was otherworldly.

Charlie moved over to the bed and began tugging off Mike’s soaked swim trunks.

He half-heartedly said, “You don’t have to do this, Charlie.”

She tossed the trunks into a corner of her room and settled on her knees between his legs.

“I know.”

Mike gasped when Charlie’s hand circled his erect member. He knew it was coming and yet for some reason there was still a level of surprise. He could feel her warm breath against his wet skin and it was almost too much.

He opened his mouth to say something when he felt the flat of her tongue swipe the head of his cock. Mike tried to speak but no words came out. Instead, he uttered some sort of strangled noise that neither made sense nor stopped Charlie.

Methodically, Charlie ran her tongue over the length of Mike’s turgid member. One hand held him and the other caressed his thigh as if to reassure him. Slowly she stroked his cock as she opened her mouth to take the head.

Mike’s mouth hung open and he moaned quietly. His hips thrust up toward Charlie’s face almost involuntarily. He stilled his movements immediately and looked at her face.

“Sorry,” he gasped.

Charlie didn’t reply. She increased the suction on his cock and took more into her skilled mouth.

“Charlie. Charlie. Charlie,” he chanted quietly in the darkened room.

She pulled back and smirked looking at his face twisted in anguish in arousal.

“Do you want me to stop, Mike?”

Charlie continued to stroke his cock but kept her gaze on his eyes.

He shook his head afraid to say anything now. He wasn’t sure what his voice would sound like under these circumstances.

She whispered, “Show me…”

Mike gave her a puzzled looked before reaching out and tangling his fingers in her dark tresses. He was gentle but insistent and he guided her mouth back onto his cock. At first, Mike made shallow thrusts into Charlie’s mouth as his free hand dropped down to her breast. His thumb caressed her hardened nipple.

Mike was lost in the warm moist feeling surrounding his erection. It had been much too long since he’d last had this feeling. However, somewhere in the back of his head his conscience was nagging him for taking advantage of Charlie’s friendship.

His thumb and forefinger closed around her nipple firmly and drew a muffled moan from the back of Charlie’s throat.

She eagerly pressed her breast into his hand wanting to assure him that she wanted more.

Mike’s thrusts maintained the same pace but now he was moving deeper. Each thrust pushed him closer to the back of Charlie’s throat. He could feel a tightness building in his stomach but he tried to stave it off. Mike wasn’t ready for this to end.

He squeezed her nipple harder this time watching with interest as her eyes fell closed and a look of euphoria settled on her beautiful features.

Mike noticed the way her arm moved and had no doubt that she had several fingers buried deep inside her.

In that moment Eddie, Paul, his job, and everything were pushed to the corners of his mind. He was focused on the beautiful woman on her knees in front of him and nothing else mattered.

Mike’s eyes closed and he drifted off into another space completely. His body was on autopilot doing what it was made to do. Only a strangled gag from Charlie managed to pull him out of his nirvana.

He froze immediately and tried to pull out but Charlie followed him. She moved both hands onto his thighs to still him.

Slowly Charlie lowered her head down toward Mike’s lap taking more of his cock into her mouth and then into her throat.

Mike started to cum as he felt the muscles of her throat relax to take his girth.

To her credit, Charlie stayed there until she swallowed all of Mike’s seed. Afterward she slowly drew back to catch her breath.

He watched in awe as Charlie’s fingers again dipped into her wet core. Even in the dim lighting, he could see their rapid pace. Mike moaned hearing the quiet squelching sounds coming from her cunt. He watched intently feeling himself harden all over again.

Mike reached out, pulled Charlie onto the bed with him, and roughly kissed her lips. He rolled them over so that she was resting against her bed.

Mike’s hand trailed down Charlie’s nude body until his fingers found her wet sex. His finger found her clit and he gently stroked it.

Charlie moaned at the touch but shook her head.

“This isn’t about me. I just want you to be okay. I just want to help you feel better,” she said.

Mike eased two fingers inside of her and slowly pumped them in and out. He watched in delight as Charlie’s entire body arched up into his hand.

He leaned down so that his lips were next to her ear and whispered, “This is what I want. I want to be inside of you. Can I, Charlie? Will you let me inside of you?”

Charlie bit her lip trying to find the willpower to tell Mike no. This wasn’t her plan. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. She saw the dark desire in his eyes as he waited for her answer. 

Mike added a third finger and methodically worked her up into a frenzy. He watched as she thrust against his probing fingers trying to force them deeper inside her body. Mike groaned feeling her wetness covering his hand.

Finally, Charlie whispered, “Yes!”

The young agent slowed his ministration and looked into Charlie’s eyes. He removed his fingers and asked, “What are you saying yes to?”

Mike wanted to be sure, before this went any further. They couldn’t take this back. Although they couldn’t take any of the activities of tonight back.

Charlie leaned up to kiss Mike and slid her fingers up into the back of his hair.

“I need you, Mike.”

He groaned at the neediness in her voice as he moved between her legs.  He rubbed his cock against her slick entrance.

Charlie closed her eyes and let out a throaty moan as Mike’s cock stretched her opening. She spread her legs wider and whispered, “More…”

Mike’s eyes fluttered shut as he felt Charlie’s muscle contract around him. He kept his thrusts shallow until he thought she could take more. With little warning, Mike slammed home and nearly lost it right then.

“Mike!” Charlie screamed. She had been unprepared for that move but was delighted all the same.

She would have never thought that Mike was capable of being rough but she was learning a lot about the rookie tonight.

Down the hall, Johnny walked out of his bedroom. At first, he wasn’t sure what he was hearing. He walked down to Charlie’s room and paused in front of the closed door. Holding his breath, he listened intently.

His head jerked to look behind him when he heard another door open.

Paul was standing in his doorway.

“This is creepy even for you, Johnny. Get the hell away from the door, man.”

Johnny put his hands up and walked down the hall to Paul’s room. “Hey, I was woken up out of a good sleep. All I heard was a scream. I didn’t know what kind of scream it was.”

Sex in Graceland was unusual. Civilians weren’t allowed upstairs so they usually went to a hotel or to their one night stand’s place. Johnny had even convinced a few girls to have sex on the beach with him. He could be rather charismatic.

Paul frowned, “Well, now you know. Go back to bed.”

Johnny chuckled hearing more moans and screams coming from down the hall.

“How the hell am I supposed to sleep through that shit?”

Paul groaned hearing Jakes’ door open. He didn’t know how Charlie or Mike were going to deal with this in the morning. Their encounter wouldn’t be a secret. The whole house knew about it now.

He had been looking out the window when the two of them came inside earlier. Paul knew the score and made himself scarce. He had enough couth not to mention anything. He could not say the same for Johnny.

Jakes looked at Paul with a raised eyebrow.

Paul just shrugged his shoulders. 


	2. Breakfast at Bernie's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike slowly comes out of his depression but he has a new problem on his hands.

Mike rubbed a hand over his face as he started to wake up. He groaned feeling as if he had cottonmouth. Mike assumed the alcohol or the ocean water was to blame for his current predicament.

He froze feeling soft hair fanned across his bare chest. Mike opened his eyes and looked down to see Charlie asleep with her head resting against him.

He couldn’t get over how beautiful her sun kissed olive skin looked.  

Mike groaned softly as reality started to set in. Last night was not a dream. It had been very real, and if memory served him right, very good.

Charlie felt Mike fidgeting beneath her and looked up at his face. She searched his eyes trying to gauge his reaction.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me last night,” Mike apologized.

She shook her head and said, “I knew what I was doing when I brought you in here last night, Mike. There is nothing to apologize for unless you are going to start acting weird.”

Mike decided to test the waters and leaned down pressing a timid kiss to Charlie’s lips.

“I promise I won’t start acting weird. Scout’s honor.”

She chuckled and sat up in the bed.

“Were you actually a boy scout?”

He smiled, “Would that make me more or less attractive?”

Charlie kissed him and then winked. “More. Definitely more. I could do with a shower and so could you. Afterward maybe we could go out for a bite to eat?”

“I’d like that, Charlie. Meet you downstairs in like 20 minutes?”

“Make it 30 and you have a deal.”

Mike got out of the bed and pulled on his swimming trunks.

He smiled, “I’ll see you in 30 minutes.”

Mike gave Charlie some privacy and went to take his shower. He smelled like alcohol, sweat, salt water, and Charlie. Mike didn’t mind smelling like Charlie.

He stood under the showerhead and scrubbed his body. Mike struggled to figure out what last night meant if anything at all. Charlie had the detached role down to a science. He wondered if last night was just a onetime thing to snap him out of his depression. He wasn’t stupid enough to think what happened between them was spontaneous.

Mike wasn’t even sure what they did was allowed. Graceland had rules that kept the house running peacefully. He wondered if sleeping with one of the roommates was some sort of party foul. Although he reasoned that something romantic was definitely going on between Lauren and Donny before the Russians shot the latter.

He was hopeful that they could keep this between the two of them until they figured out just what “this” was.

After his shower, Mike wrapped a towel around his waist and brushed his teeth. He closely examined his eyes and was pleased to see they were no longer quite so blood shot. However, he had stubble coming in on his face. He wasn’t surprised considering he neglected his hygiene for a few days while he tried to process what he witnessed. He still wondered what Bello said to Eddie to make the man take his own life.

Mike sighed and ran a tired hand over his face. He couldn’t think about that again or he’d be right back out on that beach. The upside to looking haggard was that it would make his cover more believable to Bello.

He left the bathroom and went back to his room only to find Paul sitting on his bed. Mike stopped in the doorway and made sure his towel was secure on his hips.

He continued into the room and asked, “Do we have a case?”

Paul shook his head, “No, I just wanted to check to see how my agent-in-training is doing. So? How are you?”

Mike wasn’t sure what Paul knew but he decided to play it cool. He shrugged, “I finally got a good night’s rest. I am thinking a little clearer now.”

“Are you?”

Mike said, “Yeah…”

He moved over to his dresser and put on some deodorant. He retrieved a clean pair of boxer briefs and slid them on underneath the towel since Paul seemed content to just sit there.

Paul nodded, “Good. Does that mean no more sitting on the beach looking like you are going to drown yourself in the ocean?”

The younger agent paused and looked at Paul seriously. He fought the urge to be impressed with just how well the older man knew the inner workings of his mind.

“We got Eddie killed, Briggs. Yeah, he had a choice to not work for Bello. I’m sure he’s killed his fair share of people over the years but it doesn’t change the fact that he died because of a lie we made up. We might as well have been the one squeezing that trigger.”

Paul nodded and picked up Mike’s gun from his nightstand. He swiftly approached the younger man and pressed the glock to his temple.

“You’ve only got a second to choose. Your life or Eddie’s. Which do you choose?” asked Paul.

Mike opened his mouth to say something but the empty gun clicks before he can speak.  

Paul said, “There were only two ways Eddie’s situation was going to end. Either you killed him or he killed you. The right man is rotting in the ground, Mike. Eddie was convinced that you were a rat or a fed. If Bello wouldn’t believe his accusations it would have just made him more angry, suspicious, and violent. He felt betrayed. He felt like Bello owed him more loyalty than he was shown. This is the real world, rookie. Sometimes you have to do shit that makes your skin crawl to get things done. You begged me to put you on the Bello case so act like you’re worthy of it or tell me now and I’ll make sure to get your ass bounced back to DC where you wanted to be all along. Maybe you aren’t cut out for being a UC.”

Mike grabbed his gun from Paul’s hand and placed it on the dresser.

“Second time you’ve pulled a gun on me, Briggs.”

Paul shrugged, “At least it wasn’t loaded this time. I’m just trying to wake you up, Mike. The loss of life is sad. The world is less because we’ve lost another soul. I get it. Trust me. I get it. However, out there you’ve got two objectives: get out safely and take down your target. Everything else is just collateral damage.”

Mike wanted to argue the point but knew that Briggs was right. Eddie would have come after him again. It wasn’t just his eye he lost to Bello but also the respect from the men under him in the organization.

“Thanks for looking out for me, Briggs, again.”

It seemed that Paul was always saving his ass one way or another.

“That’s why they sent you to me. You’re capable, Mike. You are smarter than anyone I’ve ever seen coming out of Quantico, other than myself, but there are some things you just have to learn on the street and you’re learning them.”

Mike pulled on a pair of jeans and then looked at Paul. He swallowed visibly. It was hard getting close to someone you were investigating. Mike felt a sense of loyalty to the man that was mentoring him.

Paul said, “I thought you should know that the house overheard you and Charlie last night.”

 “The whole house?”

“Everyone that was here.”

Mike struggled to remember who was home last night but he really wouldn’t know. He spent the evening out on the beach.

“Who was here?”

Paul answered, “Jakes, Johnny, and me.”

Mike scrubbed at his face and groaned, “Shit.”

“Jakes isn’t going to say anything. It ain’t his style. Johnny, on the other hand, won’t be able to shut his mouth when it comes to you. He wouldn’t dare say a word to Charlie but you will be fair game.”

“It was so late. I thought everyone was asleep!”

Paul chuckled, “Jakes and Johnny were. The two of you woke them up. You probably woke up the neighbors too.”

“We didn’t wake you?” asked Mike.

“I wasn’t asleep.”

The truth was Paul hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep lately knowing that Mike was sitting out on the beach. He was concerned for the rookie but wasn’t sure how to help him get through it. Apparently, he lacked the right equipment to get through to Mike.

Mike pulled on a shirt and stuffed his wallet into his pocket.

“I should go. I’m supposed to meet Charlie downstairs so that we can get breakfast.”

“Lunch,” Paul corrected.

Mike gave him a puzzled look.

“What time is it?”

Paul glanced at his watched and replied, “1:28.”

Mike smiled a little. Apparently, all he needed was really good sex and about eight hours of sleep to feel like a new man.

Paul quirked an eyebrow as he surveyed the goofy smile on Mike’s face. If Charlie wasn’t careful she was going to have a puppy dog following her around.

“I’ll let you finish getting ready. I wouldn’t want you to keep Charlie waiting.”

Mike watched Paul leave the room and shook his head. He couldn’t believe he and Charlie had been so loud that they woke up the entire house. He didn’t think they were that loud but the more he thought about it the more he realized they weren’t exactly quiet either. Adding to that their roommates were law enforcement. They were all trained to be alert at all times.

He finished dressing and headed downstairs to meet up with Charlie. Mike realized for the first time in days he was starving. He shook his head in disbelief. His roommates most think he is a complete headcase.

Johnny came in off the beach and stopped with a smirk seeing Mike.

“Mikey! Damn, bro. Damn!” Johnny exclaimed.

Mike felt his cheeks coloring but his eyes darkened slightly. He shook his head, “It’ll probably be better if you pretend you didn’t hear what you heard last night.”

Charlie came down the stairs in a pair of dark denim shorts and a red halter-top. “Pretend he didn’t hear what?”

Johnny’s mouth clamped shut so quickly his teeth clinked together painfully.

He stammered, “I-I-I-I…”

Mike smirked proudly and looked to Charlie.

“Are you ready to go? My stomach has just grumbled for the third time. I require sustenance and several cups of coffee.”

Charlie walked by Johnny, “Close your mouth before you put your foot in it, Johnny.”

She linked arms with Mike and steered him toward the door.

“Where are we going for lunch? I’m still learning all of the hotspots in the area,” Mike said once they were out the door.

Charlie said, “There’s this dive I love out by the boardwalk. It’s called Bernie’s 24/7. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner anytime of the day. I’m craving a thick steak and some eggs over easy.”

“I haven’t eaten in 4 days. I’d eat anything you put in front of me.”

The pair walked to the dive in silence. They were both enjoying the company and the fresh sea air.

Mike, without thinking about it, wrapped an arm around Charlie’s waist as they walked. It felt so natural and comfortable.

Charlie asked, “Are you still mad at me?”

He shook his head and pulled her closer.

“I was never mad at you, Charlie.”

“It felt like it,” Charlie replied.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to. I trust you more than anyone else Charlie. I just didn’t know how to cope with what was going on in my head. Normally, I do better when I’m able to work things out alone. I guess this wasn’t one of those times.”

“We must adapt and you don’t survive in this field going off by yourself. Better men have eaten their gun that way. Graceland is your lifeline and your support system. Whatever you are going through…we’ve already been there and got the t-shirt. Lean on our experience, Mike. We won’t steer you wrong.”

When they arrived at Bernie’s 24/7 Charlie led the way to her favorite table and sat down.

Mike sat across from her and looked at one of the menus on the table. There were more options than he knew what to do with.

“Charlie, Paul told me that they overheard us last night,” said Mike.

“I’m not surprised. I was loud. Does it bother you?”

“No, of course not. I was worried that it might bother you.”

Charlie shook her head and said, “We’re all consenting adults, Mike. It isn’t their business if we are sleeping together. It only becomes an issue when it screws up the dynamics in the house or with our working relationship. We wouldn’t be the first agents to live in Graceland to fall into bed with one another.”

“Is that what last night was?”

She shrugged as the waitress approached the table.

The older woman smiled cordially, “What can I get for you two?”

Charlie answered, “Two T-bone steaks. We want them medium. We’ll also have the home fries, toast, and 4 eggs over easy. “

The waitress jotted everything down. “Anything to drink?”

Mike said, “Two coffees and two orange juices.”

She nodded and headed off toward the kitchen.

Mike rested against the cushioned booth and watched Charlie. He snapped out of it, “What were we talking about?”

“Well, you were being very girly and trying to ask if last night meant anything,” Charlie teased.

He cleared his throat and asked, “Well, did it? I’m okay if it didn’t. I just want to know where we stand. I really like you Charlie and I don’t want things to be weird between us.”

She shook her head. Mike was cute but he was young. Charlie reached across the table and lightly drummed her fingers against his hand.

“I like you, Mike. You’re a good guy. I had sex with you last night because I wanted to and I think I will want to again very soon. I’m not asking for commitment. All I want from you is to be who you are and occasionally fall into my bed,” said Charlie.

Mike licked his lips nervously, “I think that I can do that.”

“Good.”

 

 


	3. The Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie's past begins to resurface.
> 
> Still no beta. All mistakes are my own. Also, there are new tags for this story.

Mike leaned against Charlie’s dresser as he watched her get ready. Tonight was the night of the big buy and bust. Charlie had spent a couple months cultivating this relationship and it was about to pay off.

Bronson was cagey and paranoid but he was one of the biggest narcotic suppliers in the city. Not only did he manufacture his own ecstasy but also recently, he’d started robbing other dealers and selling their wares. He was intent on making ecstasy a single player game in Southern California. However, it was the new synthetic drug he put on the street that made him a top priority for the bureau.

The synthetic drug had popped up in a few nightclubs and on a couple college campuses. A handful of young people were dead from overdoses. Charlie was eager to take him out of the business for good.

She pulled a gold sequined tank top over her head and surveyed her reflection in the mirror.

Mike said, “That shirt leaves nothing to the imagination.”

Charlie walked over to him so that she was flush against his body. “Are you jealous, Mikey?”

He took her face into his hands and gave her a lingering kiss. “No, I’m not jealous, but there’s no way to hide a bullet proof vest under this.”

His fingers slid underneath the material of her shirt.

Charlie bit her lip feeling his hands mapping the toned skin of her abdomen. Her eyes drifted closed as his fingers hooked underneath the cups of her bra.

Paige knocked on the door and stepped into the room. “Shit…”

Mike quickly removed his hands and looked at Paige sheepishly.

Charlie chuckled and asked, “What is it?”

“You have an incoming call in the phone room.”

Charlie’s back straightened and the smile fell away from her lips. She quickly made her way down to the phone room and grabbed it on the last ring.

“What’s up?” Charlie asked in a casual tone.

“Charlie, baby, I was beginning to think we weren’t going to take my call,” Bronson teased.

Charlie rolled her eyes but responded, “I was just enjoying a little sun on the beach. The summer is here and I need a darker tan.”

Paul walked into the room and leaned against the wall.

“You’re going to turn brown as a berry you know, but they say the blacker the berry the sweeter the juice. Are you sweet, Charlie?”

“Well, I can be a little sweet and a little sour if the mood strikes me. Are we still on for tonight?”

He chuckled, “About that…I’m not going to be able to meet with you, Charlie. Something came up and I’m going to have to postpone for another day.”

Charlie had a seat on the table and just shook her head at Paul.

“Seriously? You’re cancelling on me again, Bronson. I’m starting to get the feeling you don’t want to do this deal, man. If you want out just let me know. I’ll find someone else to give me what I need,” said Charlie.

She had to make Bronson think she was willing to walk away from the deal.

“Babe, calm down. I’m not jerking you around. Something came up and I can’t make it tonight. I swear we’ll meet up Friday night and do this thing. You aren’t going to regret it. No one else on the street can top what I’ve got. That shit they’re peddling ain’t worth the powder packed into it.”

“I’ve been waiting for days to make this happen. I’m losing money and customers.”

The line went quiet and Paul gave her a puzzled look.

“I’ll knock 20 K off the purchase price to make up for rescheduling. Will that get me back into your good graces?”

Charlie said, “Alright, alright. I’m sold. You certainly know the way to a woman’s heart. So this is going down Friday? Same place and same time?”

Bronson paused, “About that. I don’t like using the same location twice. You just never know who you can trust in this world. We’ll meet Friday night at 8:00.”

Charlie’s frown deepened, “Okay. Where?”

“I’ll text you the details later. I’ll see you Friday, Charlie.”

The agent shook her head as the line went dead. He was playing her but she wasn’t sure why or where this was going.

Paul looked at Charlie expectantly.

“He’s going to text me with the location later. I probably won’t know the where until Thursday or Friday. He keeps everything close to the vest.”

The older agent scrubbed at his stubble-covered face and said, “Something’s not right about this guy.”

Charlie said, “Considering he started dropping acid in the 70’s I’d say that there’s a lot wrong with him but he’s solid Paul.”

“And he hasn’t survived in the narcotics trade this long without being smart. If he smells a rat he’ll kill you instead of taking the risk.”

She smiled, “Well, that is why I’ll have you guys there for back up. He’s ruthless and he’s manufacturing poison. We’ve got to get him off the street.”

Paul said, “I’ll cancel the op for tonight.”

Charlie grinned, “Then let’s go for drinks at the Drop. Mikey could use a night out. We all could.”

Paul kicked the door closed without looking.

He said, “I’m with that. I was starting to think we broke him. The kid was a zombie for a couple days.”

She nodded, “That he was.”

“And now he’s not. You fixed that.”

She gave him a look and then shrugged her shoulders. “He just needed to know that someone cared.”

Paul raised an eyebrow and asked, “You sure that’s all he needed?”

Charlie brushed by Paul but didn’t respond. They were headed into territory they both promised never to venture into. There was a time when she and Paul weren’t so platonic. There was a time when she was the rookie agent that needed someone to pull her back from the brink. It turned into 4 months of something that hurt both of them. They managed to salvage their friendship but just barely. Now they got together every once in awhile away from Graceland. No strings attached.

Paul spun Charlie around and pressed her up against the door. He moved his body between her legs and thrust up against her, "You’re playing with fire.”

“I like fire.”

His lips hovered over Charlie’s before moving in to kiss her passionately.  He studied her face briefly and said, “The kid is going to get hooked. They always do.”

She leaned in and whispered, “Good thing I’m not his training officer, huh? That could get messy.”

Paul let her arm go and rocked back on his heels watching her walk away. Her words cut deep and he knew it was on purpose. He quickly recovered and strolled out of the room.

“We’re going to the Drop!” he bellowed walking down the stairs.

Johnny let out a whoop and yelled, “Let’s go. I want to try out my new sunglasses. They make me look like Maverick from Top Gun.”

Jakes shook his head as he followed Briggs down the stairs, “It’s all in your head, Johnny. Trust me. You look more like Erik Estrada from CHiPs.”

Johnny looked over his shoulder at Charlie and asked, “You coming with us, right?”

Charlie laughed, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll meet you guys over there after I change.”

She made a pit stop in the bathroom to collect herself. Paul’s reaction was unexpected. When they hooked up it was always casual. She didn’t understand how she had so poorly read the situation. Her night with Mike wasn’t some sort of ploy to bait Paul. It was genuine and it was born out of concern for their greenhorn agent. It didn’t hurt that from beginning she’d developed a soft spot for Mike. He was sweet, smart, and charming in a boyish way. Not to mention he was a damn good lay.

The brown-haired agent stared at herself in the mirror for a long time. Finally, she exited the bathroom.

When Charlie arrived in her bedroom, she smirked seeing Mike sitting on her bed. She asked, “You do know this isn’t your room, right?”

He laughed, “I know where my room is, Charlie. I just wanted to hear how your call with Bronson went. Are we rolling out tonight?”

She shook her head and closed her bedroom door. “No joy. He moved the buy to Friday night. No location yet.”

Charlie took off her sequined top and tossed it behind Mike on the bed. She turned on the iPod and selected her favorite playlist.

Mike grew more concerned, “Isn’t this the fourth time Bronson moved the date and location?”

Charlie walked over to the bed and straddled Mike’s lap. “You are starting to sound like Briggs.”

The younger man was quickly distracted as she teasingly rotated her hips against his growing erection. To up the ante Charlie unclasped her bra and let the flimsy material slide down her arms. However, he managed to focus on the topic at hand.

“Do you think your cover’s been blown?” asked Mike.

She rolled her eyes and unbuckled his belt. “You both worry too much.”

Charlie leaned in and sucked at the hollow of his throat. She just wanted to forget about her strange encounter with Paul in the phone room. Her meeting with Bronson was a few days away. She could worry about that later.

Mike threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled slightly to move her head back. He looked into her dark eyes and replied, “I don’t think you’re worried enough. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Charlie.”

The expression on her face grew serious, “If I thought my cover was blown I’d kill this operation in a minute. The most important thing is living to fight another day. Now shut up and kiss me before I change my mind…”

He asked, “Change your mind about what?”

Charlie smirked as she climbed off his lap. She unzipped her denim mini skirt and shucked it off her hips.

Mike stared intently enjoying the show immensely. Last night was fuzzy and he wanted to remember this moment. He let out an audible groan as Charlie discarded her panties.

She ran a hand up into her mussed hair as her body moved in a serpentine fashion. For a moment she got lost in the pulsing beat of the song.

Mike frowned catching a glimpse of something in her eyes. It didn’t look like passion or arousal, but it disappeared almost as soon as it appeared.

He approached Charlie and put his hands on her hips to still her movements. Mike searched her dark eyes for a hint of what he’d just saw.

“Are you okay?”

Charlie smiled at him and said, “Yeah, I think I am. I’d be even better if you gave me an encore of last night. I wonder what you’re like when you aren’t depressed and buzzed.”

Mike tried to detect if she was lying to him but they were trained liars. He stared at her before finally deciding to let it go. If Charlie wasn’t into this she would tell him or just kick him out of her room.

 He got naked with little fanfare. As their lips met, Mike pushed his tongue into her mouth and steered them toward her bed.

Charlie pulled back from the kiss breathless, “No…”

Mike looked like he’d been kicked. He swallowed thickly, “Do you want me to stop? I mean that is cool if that is what you want. We can just go to the Drop with everyone else. They are probably wondering where we are.”

Charlie laughed at his expression. She shook her head, “I don’t want you to stop. I just don’t want to do this in my bed. Variety is the spice of life.”

The lascivious look on her face made his cock throb in anticipation. He changed directions and walked until Charlie’s back quietly thumped against the wall. He smirked, “Better?”

She grinned at him, “Much.”

Mike grabbed Charlie’s leg and pulled it up around his waist. He gripped his hard cock, which was now leaking pre-cum, and rubbed it against her wet slit.

Charlie’s breath caught in her throat as the heavy head of his cock bumped against her sensitive clit. She rocked against Mike feeling him slip between her spread lips but not yet inside of her.

His head dropped down and he captured one of her nipples between his lips. He increased the suction as his teeth lightly grazed over the hardened nub. Mike tightened his grip on Charlie as he guided his cock into her wet cunt. He hoisted her up to improve the angle and began moving in long, slow thrusts.

Charlie leaned forward and buried her face in his chest. She needed something to muffle her moans. Charlie wasn’t sure if anyone was still in the house, but decided it was probably best not to be as vocal as last night. Her body shuddered every time Mike pulled almost completely out of her only to drive home with more power.

Mike felt Charlie’s warm breath coming out in short puffs. He stopped moving shortly feeling her muscles fluttering around his cock. The rookie agent took a moment to collect himself. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself by climaxing before she did.

“You are driving me crazy, Charlie.”

Charlie knew exactly what he was doing and only murmured soft encouragement. She kissed and sucked at a spot on his pec. She knew it was sure to leave a mark.

When Mike felt like he was under control, he began to move again but this time his pace was rougher and relentless. The angle was perfect and his cock hit her spot repeatedly.

She bit down on her lip feeling a scream building in the very back of her throat. Charlie came unglued as an orgasm ripped through her body. “Fuck,” she muttered incoherently.

Mike picked up her other leg and carried Charlie over to the bed. He eased them down onto the soft mattress and continued to drive his cock into her.

As Charlie slowly started to return to Earth Mike slowed to a stop. She looked at him curiously, “You didn’t cum.”

He dropped his head next to her ear, “Not yet.”

Charlie gasped and her eyes snapped closed feeling his slick cock rubbing against her ass. She nodded at him signaling that she was onboard for whatever he wanted to do.

“Do you have lube?”

She reached over and pulled a small bottle of lube from her drawer.

He looked at the bottle questioningly.

Charlie chuckled, “A girl likes her toys, Mikey.”

Mike shook his head and lightly slapped her thigh, “Bad girl.”

He took the time to properly coat his fingers with the lube and squeezed a few drops directly onto her puckered hole. Mike massaged in the lube and slowly probed her hole with his finger. When he made it in to the second knuckle, he decided to add another finger.

Charlie’s legs were splayed open and bent at the knees. She bit her lip as she watched Mike working her open. Once again, the rookie was surprising her. And as predicted Paul Briggs was the furthest thing from her mind.

Mike’s eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on the task. Every once in awhile he stroked his cock with his freehand.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, watching as her muscles contracted to pull his fingers deeper into her.

Charlie reached between her legs and rubbed her clit. She could feel another orgasm starting to build.

Mike took that as his cue to add another finger. He removed his fingers, added more lube, and penetrated her with three fingers. Mike moaned watching Charlie slide two fingers into her pussy. The idea of double penetrating her was quickly fueling his lust. He wondered if she’d be interested in using one of her toys for that but he quickly dismissed that idea. Mike didn’t want to get shot down.

Mike withdrew his fingers and grabbed the lube one last time. He smoothed the lubricant over his leaking cock

She smirked, “If you aren’t inside me soon I am going to cum again without you. I may not be in the mood for a third one.”

He laughed quietly but decided not to waste any time. Mike lined his cock up with Charlie’s lubricated entrance. He stopped for a moment looking down at her aroused face.

She leaned up and kissed him deeply, “Please…”

The tiny twinge of desperation in Charlie’s voice is enough to entice Mike forward. He eases into her with a quiet growl. He muttered, “So tight. You are so perfect.”

It takes all of Mike’s willpower not to drive home in one move. He’d never dream of doing anything to hurt Charlie. He kept his thrusts slow and methodical until he bottomed out inside of her.

Charlie’s body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and her mouth was slightly open but no words were coming out. The look of bliss on her face told the story. She clawed at Mike’s chest wanting more.

As Mike’s rhythm started to change and his thrusts became rougher. Charlie bucked against him in an attempt to drive him deeper. Her moans and screams replaced with grunts and murmurs of praise, “Yes. Harder. Like that. Don’t stop.”

With little warning, Mike coaxed another bone rattling orgasm from Charlie. She was almost fitful as the sensation reverberated through her from head to toe. At that moment, he began to focus on his own pleasure knowing that his climax isn’t far off.

Mike’s unsure about the passage of time when he finally erupts inside of Charlie. He’s panting deeply and feeling lightheaded as he leans over Charlie’s body to kiss her lips. He keeps fucking her until he feels his cock begin to soften.

Finally, he allows himself to slip from her body and he collapses beside her.

Charlie sighs at the empty feeling. Instinctively, she curled her body around Mike’s and rested her head on his chest. She listened to his rapidly beating heart and laughed softly, “We are supposed to be at the Drop.”

Mike closed his eyes and ran his hand down the length of her spine repeatedly, “We’ll make it there. It’s still early.” 


	4. The Drop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul decides to be a little mischievous when the roommates go out for drinks.

Briggs stood at the pool table with Jakes, Paige, and Johnny. He was laughing until he saw Mike and Charlie walk into the Drop. A quick glance at his watch confirmed that their roommates were two hours late to the party. Briggs couldn’t deny the twinge of jealousy he felt seeing them together.   Mike was discreetly holding Charlie’s hand but Briggs picked it up almost immediately.

Johnny groaned as he missed his shot. He looked up to see the twosome headed their way.

He chuckled and said, “Damn! Mikey looks really happy.”

Jakes took a swig of his beer and shook his head. Johnny really didn’t know when to leave well enough alone. The customs agent knew this was a delicate situation even if he wasn’t aware of Paul and Charlie’s entanglement.

He smirked, “You keep it up and I’ll tell Charlie you were listening at the door last night. I’m sure she’d love to know that.”

The younger man screwed up his face and walked around the pool table. He smirk had been replaced with a sullen expression.

He complained, “You and Briggs are killing my fun. I can’t joke on Mikey without the two of you making it about Charlie. This ain’t about Charlie.”

Paige cautiously observed Paul’s change in mood. Just moments ago, he was laughing and joking around with the rest of the group. Now his face was tight and he looked annoyed.

She tossed a look back at Johnny, “Some things you just can’t joke about.”

Mike sidled up to the pool table and asked, “Who is winning?”

Jakes smirked, “I am. Johnny and Briggs owe me about $150 and the night is still young. I’m on fire, Levi.”

The rookie agent smiled at his training officer and asked, “Are you off your game tonight? Normally, you wipe the floor with these guys.”

Paul chuckled, “Yeah, I guess that’s it Mikey. I’m going to go get a couple of pitchers of beer since you guys are here. We’re running low.”

Mike moved around the pool table to chat up Johnny and Jakes but Charlie stood still watching Paul walk away.

Paige tossed back a shot of tequila and moved next to Charlie. She asked, “You want to talk about that?”

She shook her head, “Wouldn’t know what to say if I did.”

Paul stayed at the bar longer than necessary as he watched the younger agents. It didn’t take long for Paige and Charlie to migrate into the group and start having fun.  Whatever was going on in his head was his problem and no one else’s but it didn’t stop him from feeling angry.

He chuckled to himself as he spotted Abby sitting at the bar with a small group of friends. Paul waved down a bartender and said, “Hey, what’s she drinking?”

The woman looked over at the girl and replied, “Madras.”

He tapped his credit card against the bar for a moment and then said, “Send her another one and tell her it’s from Mike.”

The bartender nodded and went off to make the drink.

Paul carried two pitchers of beer over to the table and smiled, “More beer for my favorite people. Everybody drink up! Is it my turn yet?”

Jakes said, “Mikey took your last couple shots. You took too long coming back from the bar.”

Mike asked, “Is that okay? Jakes said you wouldn’t mind.”

Briggs smiled, “I don’t mind at all. I was flirting with the cute bartender.”

Mike and Johnny looked over at the bar and nodded in approval. The rookie agent handed the pool cue over to Paul and leaned against the wall to watch the rest of the game play out.

Charlie took money out of her wallet and placed it on the end of the table. “I want in for the next game. It’s been a couple weeks since I made a couple bucks off you suckers.”

Johnny laughed, “Looks like the shark is about to wade into the water.”

A few minutes later Abby approached the pool table and got Mike’s attention. “Hey…”

For a second Mike was like a deer in headlights. He wasn’t expecting to see Abby. Honestly, spending the night with Charlie had made him forget all about her Abby. He walked around the pool table to meet her.

“Hey, I’m sorry that I didn’t call. I have had a bad week. I’ve had a really bad week,” said Mike.

She smiled, “It’s okay. I can’t imagine witnessing an accident where someone dies. I think I would have a pretty bad week after that too, but you made up for it by buying me a drink.”

 Mike looked genuinely confused, “I bought you a drink?”

Abby chuckled and said, “You are so funny. The bartender gave me a Madras and said that it was from you.”

Charlie couldn’t help but overhear the conversation because of proximity. Her eyes shot over to Paul and she felt her jaw tighten.

Mike said, “I’m sorry, Abby. I didn’t send you a drink.”

Briggs walked over and slapped Mike on the back with a grin. “I confess. I’m the one that sent your friend a drink. I knew you were having a bad week. I thought she might cheer you up.”

Mike offered a grateful smile, “Uh, thanks, Paul.”

Abby’s cheeks flushed realizing her mistake, “If you don’t want to talk it’s fine. I’m here with friend anyway.”

Mike didn’t want to hurt Abby’s feeling but he didn’t know exactly where he stood with Charlie. He was too much of a gentleman to roll out of bed with one woman and hang out with another. Mike looked over at Charlie briefly and felt himself smile.

He turned his attention to Abby and asked, “How about a raincheck? I’m hanging out with my roommates tonight.”

Charlie shook her head and laughed, “You live with us, Mike. Go have fun with your friend. We’ll see you back at the house later.”

Mike’s eyes widened as if to ask if Charlie was sure but the look on her face said that she was. He nodded, “I’ll see you guys later.”

Charlie watched Mike walk off with Abby. She waited until he was out of sight and then walked out of the bar.

Paige went to follow but Briggs put a hand on her shoulder, “I’ve got it.”

Paul walked outside and spotted Charlie leaning against his jeep smoking a cigarette.

Charlie asked, “What’s your problem, Briggs?”

“Dating in the house can get messy,” said Paul.

She nodded, “Being fuck buddies can get messy too. What do you want from me?”

“I thought we had a good thing. We’re like a release valve for one another when things get too hectic.”

“Maybe I want more than that, Briggs. You ever think about that? Maybe getting fucked every couple of weeks isn’t enough for me anymore,” said Charlie. She breathed in a deep lung of smoke and then blew it out in Paul’s face.

His eyes softened and he reached out to caress her hair. He leaned in and spoke quietly, “You know we are more than that, Charlie. Always have been but you know serious relationships don’t work for UCs and not at Graceland.”

“I know that because that’s the bullshit line you’ve been feeding me. Mike is a good guy and he needed me last night.”

Paul’s eyes darkened, “What about tonight?”

Charlie blew out another cloud of smoke and shrugged her shoulders, “I needed him.”

“You’re mad at me, Charlie. Let me make it up to you,” said Paul.

He gripped her bare thigh and slowly inched his hand upward. Paul stopped when he felt the flimsy material of her panties. Slowly he stroked two fingers up and down her slit. It was a daring move in the parking lot of their favorite hangout spot but his body served as a shield from prying eyes. Paul was encouraged by Charlie’s silence so he slipped his hand beneath her panties and started aggressively probing her moistening cunt.

Charlie bit back a moan and pushed at his chest. “I hate you sometimes…”

They both knew that all Charlie had to do was say the word stop and Paul would move away, but for some reasons the word just wouldn’t come. He had the ability to twist her up inside and confuse her.

The door to the bar opened and Mike walked out looking for Charlie. He didn’t feel right spending time with Abby after everything that happened between him and Charlie. He felt something for his roommate that he couldn’t put a name to yet, but he knew that it wasn’t fair to string Abby along while he figured out his problems. His eyes scanned the parking lot hoping that Charlie wasn’t already on her way back to Graceland.

As he was about to start walking home he heard a woman yelling. He couldn’t make out the words but it sounded like Charlie. Mike raced across the parking lot until he came upon Paul and Charlie.

The rookie’s training officer had the woman pinned against the side of his jeep.

Mike didn’t wait to process the situation, he grabbed Briggs by the shoulders and wrenched him away from Charlie and the jeep. He demanded, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Paul stumbled from shock but quickly recovered, “Mike…”

Mike connected a right hook to Paul’s jaw before he could finish his sentence. He turned around to take in Charlie’s appearance, “Are you okay?”

Charlie nodded quickly, “I’m fine, Mikey. Paul and I were just talking. I got heated and he was just trying to calm me down before I did something stupid.”

“No, you were screaming at him. I heard you,” said Mike.

Her face blanched and her eyes darted over to Paul. He looked as stunned as she did. Charlie asked, “What did you hear?”

Mike said, “I couldn’t make it out but you sounded upset and then I come up and find him holding you against your will. What was I supposed to think?”

Charlie visibly relaxed she shook her head, “We were arguing about relationships in Graceland. He’s worried about complications like Donnie and Lauren. The conversation got a little heated but it is over now. I like you, Mike. I admit I got a little jealous seeing you with Abby. Paul didn’t want me storming into the bar and making a scene. I’m Italian…I’ve got a temper.”

Mike’s expression softened and he said, “I’m sorry about that, Charlie. I knew it was wrong when I walked off with her. I let her down gently but I ended it. I like you too, Charlie. I think I have since that day you gave me Donnie’s spare key. You were the first person to really welcome me into the house.”

Paul watched as Charlie seamlessly diverted Mike’s attention away from the scene he walked up on moments ago. It was one of the reasons she was a damn good agent.  

Charlie smiled and said, “Well, the bureau doesn’t have any rules about agents dating as long as it doesn’t interfere with our jobs and Paul rules about not dating in Graceland is more of a guideline than a law. So what do you say?”

Mike lifted Charlie’s lithe frame into his arms and planted an intense kiss on her supple lips. “I say my girlfriend is an awesome FBI agent.”

Charlie chuckled and said, “Too bad you can’t tell anyone that.”

He shook his head, “I don’t care if anyone else knows. I know…”

“Come on, lover boy. Let’s go back into the bar and play some pool,” Charlie suggested.

Mike smiled at Charlie and leaned in to kiss her again, “Actually, I need to talk to Briggs. I need to apologize. We’ll meet you inside.”

Charlie looked between the two men before turning to head into the bar.

Once Mike was sure that she was out of earshot, he turned to look at Briggs.

Paul said, “You don’t have to apologize, Mikey. All is forgiven.”

“I had no intention of apologizing, Briggs. What’s really going on with you and Charlie?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Paul. His voice was smooth and showed no signs of apprehension.

“Sure you don’t. Charlie lied to my face and she would have only done that to protect you. I was onto you the minute you admitted to sending Abby the drink. You wanted to piss of Charlie. It was a smart move reminding her that I was interested in Abby. I can think of two reasons you would try to sabotage my relationship with Charlie: a) you don’t want us dating in Graceland or b) you want Charlie for yourself,” Mike declared in a low growl.

Mike paused for a beat studying Briggs face. He scoffed when the answer became clear.

Briggs said, “I wish they would have sent me a dumber rookie. Charlie and I used to have something and we don’t anymore.”

The younger man nodded and said, “Good to know. Then this shouldn’t be a problem anymore…”

“She’s all yours, young Jedi.”

Paul stood in the parking lot by himself as Mike went inside to rejoin their roommates. Suddenly, he was regretting holding Charlie at arm’s length for so long. He knew that she would not change her mind now. She was with Mike and Paul would just have to accept that. Unless…


	5. We All Fall Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike makes a mistake. Can he bear the cost?

Mike glanced at the time and tried not to frown. He was not interested in playing Bello’s chauffer that night. More than anything, he wanted to be at the Whitmore Hotel in that tactical response suite. He was incredibly worried about Charlie. There was something about Bronson that just didn’t feel right. Charlie was so focused on making the bust Mike worried that she might be missing the signs of a blown operation.

The stories about Bronson’s brutality were legendary. He was a rarity because after nearly 40 years in the business he had never faced any serious jail time. His longest stint behind bars was a 2-year sentence in 1971 for a fight in a bar that got out of control. In that case, Bronson nearly beat a man to death with a pool cue. However, both men were young, drunk, and the injured man started the fight. The prosecutor in the case was happy to give Bronson a plea deal.

Mike wondered if the prosecutor in the case was still alive and if he realized his hasty plea deal in 1971 helped create a monster and a drug kingpin.

He checked the time again and frowned seeing that it was nearly 1 AM and he was still standing outside waiting on Bello to come out. Mike was almost certain this was Bello’s girlfriend’s house.

He reminded himself that this was a good thing. Before now, they didn’t know of any family or social relationships Bello had outside of his crew. His girlfriend could wind up being a piece to the puzzle.

Mike checked his phone for text messages but he didn’t have any. Earlier in the evening, he had exchanged several messages with Charlie. It helped him worry about her a little less. They were just innocent messages that you would see between any couple. However, he wasn’t happy that Paul was there with Charlie. He was glad that she had backup in the room with her but he didn’t like the idea of the two of them alone in a hotel room all night.

He trusted Charlie not to sleep with Paul. If that was what she wanted, she could have had him. However, he did not really trust his training officer when it came to Charlie. He felt like Briggs’ eyes were always on them when they were at Graceland. Despite the older man’s promises to back off Mike was suspicious of how easily he just gave up.

On the other hand, Mike had a hard time believing that Briggs was dirty. He told his handler as much yesterday in one of their clandestine meetings. The guy was unorthodox but everything he did was to protect Graceland, their cases, and the other agents. He didn’t see any evidence of wrongdoing on Paul’s part.

Juan promised that there were irregularities that drew red flags about Paul’s character but he had to get clearance from the brass before he could read Mike in on the details. For now, Mike wasn’t pursuing the investigation against Paul. He was more concerned with his undercover operation against Bello and his relationship with Charlie.

Just then Mike heard a door close and he looked back to see Bello walking toward the car. The man’s shirt was partially unbuttoned and he was carrying his suit jacket over his arm. The smirk on his face left no doubt as to his activities for the evening.

He opened the door for Bello and asked, “Have a good night, sir?”

Bello offered a smirk and said, “Yes, I did. Mike, you can take me home. I have no other business to conduct tonight, but I will require your services first thing tomorrow morning.”

Mike said, “Of course, sir. Just tell me what time and I will be at your house.”

Bello climbed into the back seat of the black BMW. He was enjoying his decision to make Mike his chauffer. The young man wasn’t only a good marksman but he was dependable and discreet. Those qualities were hard to come by.

He said, “I’ll need you there at 8:00. There is a business meeting I need to attend.”

Mike nodded and then closed the door once he was sure Bello was securely in the vehicle. Then he got into the driver’s side of the car and drove away from the curb. He was eager to get Bello home. There was still time for him to get over to the Whitmore Hotel.

He received a text from Charlie earlier in the night informing him that Bronson pushed the meet until 3 AM. It wasn’t necessarily unusual because the man kept odd hours but sitting around for so long could make the tactical response team sluggish. A second too late could be the difference between arresting Bronson for drug trafficking and distribution or Charlie taking a bullet to the head.

Mike still felt fresh and Gerry assured him that if he finished with Bello early enough he could suit up with the rest of the tactical response team. Briggs didn’t seem as enthusiastic about that decision but then again Gerry didn’t know that Mike was in a relationship with Charlie. For now, only the other roommates at Graceland knew about the relationship. Charlie assured him that no one would say anything unless it somehow compromised their work.

A sense of relief washed over Mike as he pulled into the circular driveway at Bello’s house. He turned off the engine and climbed out of the car to open the backdoor. However, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye.

Automatically Mike’s hand went to his holstered weapon and he scanned the perimeter trying to assess the threat level. His attention was drawn to a sports utility vehicle parked just down the street. Mike could have sworn he saw someone climb into the vehicle.

Bello opened the door and asked, “Michael, what is it?”

Mike said, “That car across the street is suspicious. I am going to check it out. You should slide across the backseat and get out of the other door. I have a bad feeling about this. Keep your head down just in case this is an attempt on your life.”

Bello looked toward the darkened vehicle and frowned. He said, “I am not familiar with that car. I notice everything that is parked on this street. You will need more than a handgun. There is an AK-47 in the trunk. Use it.”

Mike nodded and closed Bello’s door. He moved around to the trunk and retrieved the AK-47. Mike started moving toward the street just as the SUV’s lights flipped on and the vehicle roared down Bello’s street. The occupants of the vehicle used automatic weapons to spray the street as the sped away.

Mike returned fire with AK-47.

Bello had been unable to make it into the house but he did take cover beside his car. After he was sure that the SUV was gone, he stood up and checked himself for injuries. The shattered glass from his car had caused a few lacerations and a bullet grazed his left arm, but overall he was no worse for wear.

“Mike?” Bello called out. 

The older man walked around the vehicle and his eyes fell onto Mike’s bleeding body. The younger man was sprawled on the concrete with the AK-47 at his side.

Bello heard sirens in the distance and quickly took AK-47 into the house. He returned with towels and applied pressure to Mike’s wounds after calling 911. There was no way he could hide this. The sirens were nearby. Surely, the police would be on the scene soon. 

“Michael, can you hear me?”

There was no response and that concerned the man. His eyes searched the street and his jaw set in anger. Someone made a move on him at his own home. He would find out who was responsible and make them pay.

Bello was unsure of where Mike was hit because there was so much blood everywhere. His attempt to put pressure on the wounds was an exercise in futility.

Three squad cars came to a stop in front of his property and uniformed officers rushed onto the scene with their guns drawn.

Bello said, “My friend was shot.”

One of the officers stepped closer and asked, “Are you armed?”

Bello said, “No, but I think my friend has a gun in his holster.”

The officer said, “Move back and put your hands where we can see them.”

He grimaced but followed directions. However, having someone order him about grated on Bello’s nerves more than he liked to admit.

The officer nodded to a younger officer who quickly moved in, took the gun from Mike’s holster, and secured it in one of the squad cars.

Another officer engaged Bello and patted him down to ensure they had control of all the weapons on the scene.

The oldest officer on the scene stooped down to check for a pulse. He reported, "He's not breathing. I'll try chest compressions until the ambulance gets here but they better hurry. I don't know how long the kid will last."


	6. Blurred Lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and Briggs are undercover as a couple. Can they keep their cover and their reality separate?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't have a beta and I was in a rush this week to get the chapters done so there maybe a few more mistakes than normal. If you see any major ones let me know. Enjoy!

Paul’s eyes darkened as he watched Charlie sway to the music. He knew she was doing her very best to tune him out. Part of him knew that he should let her do just that. After all, they were in the middle of an operation, but in truth, it wouldn’t be the first time two agents grabbed a quick one while waiting for a target to show up.  

This entire operation was hastily put together because Bronson withheld the location until noon that day. Paul and Gerry had to scramble to put something together as to not arouse the paranoid supplier’s suspicions. The best they could do was having Paul pose as Charlie’s boyfriend, wire them for sound, and put a tactical response team in a room around the corner.

Earlier in the night, Bronson sent one of his dealer’s over with tablets for Charlie and Paul to try. It was their opportunity to sample the product and served as an apology for delaying the meeting for a few hours while he handled business elsewhere.

The upside to this was that it seemed certain that Bronson would be making his appearance tonight. The downside was that there were some things you just couldn’t fake. One of those things was taking a synthetic party drug.

Paul was always quick on his feet so he took Charlie to the hotel’s rooftop bar where they could get a few drinks and dance. They both knew how to play the part of being high and doing so in a public place might be just the bait Bronson needed to show his face. Paul didn’t doubt that Bronson was having them watched.

They were now into hour two of hanging out in the rooftop bar and between them about a dozen drinks were consumed but far more were ordered and surreptitiously discarded.

Paul figured they would put back another round of drinks then head back to their room. If Bronson had people watching, they should be satisfied with the performance.

He flagged down the bartender and said, “Give me two long island iced teas.”

The bartender nodded at him and moved back down the bar to make the drinks.

Normally, Paul watched bartenders make his drinks while he was undercover. It was tradecraft 101 to know just how much liquor the bartender poured into your beverage. Some bartenders were heavy handed and others were stingy. However, a few ounces of liquor made the difference between sober and intoxicated.

Since he had watched the bartender all night, Paul didn’t feel the need to repeat the action. It was rare for bartenders to switch up practices mid shift. When the bartender returned Paul paid for their drinks and tried to attract Charlie’s attention across the crowded dance floor.

He smiled hearing Robin Thicke’s song Blurred Lines start to play. Paul watched as Charlie’s dance moves became more purposeful. He knew that she genuinely like the song, as did he. It seemed like the perfect moment to go dance with her again. She couldn’t turn down her boyfriend for a dance. It might blow their cover.

He moved across the room and set their drinks on the bar table near Charlie. Afterward Paul went out onto the dance floor and started dancing with Charlie. Over the music he yelled, “You look sexy out here. You’ve been driving me crazy all night long.”

Charlie rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away from Paul as they danced even as his hands started to grope her ass. She knew it was part of the cover.

Paul smirked when Charlie didn’t push him away. He had to admit this was one of his more tantalizing undercover assignments. There were some definite benefits to being a senior agent. He was here instead of in the suite with the tactical response team like Johnny. The younger agent had pleaded for the opportunity but Gerry pulled rank and decided Briggs was the better fit.

Charlie started to dance more seductive and intermittently touched Paul. She intended to turn him on and leave him high and dry as punishment for forcing her to dance with him to this song.

Paul didn’t care about her motivations as long as he got to feel her warm body pressed up against his. His hands caressed her as they danced. He wrapped an arm around Charlie’s body and pulled her in against him. His lips lightly graced her neck and then the back of her ear.

He spoke into her ear, “It has been awhile since we’ve been to a club together. I’ve missed this. I think you’ve missed me too.”

Charlie rolled her eyes and didn’t bother to respond to Paul. Instead, she took great pleasure in grinding against him knowing the effect it was sure to have on him.

He grunted in response but didn’t complain. He pulled her in tighter and reciprocated the grinding motion. Paul could feel himself hardening from the constant friction.

He kissed and sucked on Charlie’s neck trying to raise a hickey. He knew it was a shitty thing to do but he was suddenly feeling incredibly possessive.

Sooner than Paul liked the song ended and Charlie started to move away from him. He resigned himself to the fact that the moment was over.

He said, “I bought another round of drinks for us. After we finish these we can go back to the room.”

Charlie nodded at him and walked the short distance to the bar table where Paul placed the drinks. She picked up the glass and took a gulp. Charlie was hot and a little thirsty after dancing most of the evening.

Paul picked up his glass and took a sip. He whistled and said, “The bartender went heavy on the rum with these drinks.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too.  I don’t mind. The rum is my favorite part of a long island anyway.”

“Do you think Bronson is going to show tonight?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know. He’s unpredictable and a very busy man. If he doesn’t show I guess I’ll have to look for product somewhere else.”

That was Charlie’s way of saying she’d let the investigation close if they couldn’t snag Bronson tonight. Another delay was a sure sign that her cover was blown. She was dedicated, not stupid.

Paul said, “That’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Business and friendship are two very different things.”

Charlie nodded in agreement and worked on finishing off her drink. She was ready to get back to the hotel room. The rooftop bar was nice but it was hot and she felt sticky. Charlie really liked the idea of a quick shower to freshen up right about now.

It didn’t take long for the couple to finish their drinks and leave the rooftop bar.

When they entered the hotel room Charlie kicked off her stilettos and dug her toes into the expensive carpet. She sighed happily and said, “Stilettos are torture devices after awhile.”

Paul smirked as he flopped down on the couch. He said, “True but you looking fucking sexy in them. All women do.”

Charlie smirked and said, “It changes our posture and makes our asses stick out just a little more. Prime position for all types of fun.”

“Don’t remind me. I used to love seeing those red ones resting on my shoulders when I was deep inside of you,” Paul said in a wistful voice.

She chuckled and shook a finger in his direction.

“Bad boy. Very bad boy. What am I going to do with you?” asked Charlie.

He asked, “Aren’t you the one that likes to be bad and suffer the consequences?”

As Charlie walked by the couch on her way to the bathroom Paul gave her a solid slap on the ass.

She looked over her shoulder at Paul but didn’t say anything as she entered the bathroom. Once the door was closed, she leaned against it for support. The man was maddening most of the time but there was a certain appeal to him.

Charlie pealed her sweaty dress off her body and walked into the shower. She was beginning to feel lightheaded but figured it would get better once her temperature came down to something a little closer to normal.

She closed her eyes as the warm water cascaded over her body. Her lips curved into a soft smile as she thought about how fun things used to be with Paul before everything got complicated. In truth, she was the one that complicated the situation. She wanted more than Paul could give and that doomed their relationship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. This was supposed to be a 5 chapter story but it got away from me. I don't really know what the length is anymore.


	7. Over the Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the cat's away the mice will play.

The thing about Charlie and Paul was that they both had a dark streak within them. It was something they kept hidden from the public eye but it was there. When they started working together, Paul recognized it almost immediately. Charlie enjoyed Paul’s praise a little too much and took his disappointment a little too hard. Honestly, he still wasn’t sure if Charlie really knew what she was getting herself into in the beginning. That was why her words the other day cut him so deeply.

He was her training officer when all of this began. It was an abuse of power to have a relationship with your trainee. However, the depth and nature of their relationship made it even worse. Even as guilty as he felt it didn’t stop him from imagining her in the shower.

Charlie rested her head against the cool tiles. She was feeling little hazy and couldn’t really understand why. Seven watered down drinks should not have been enough to put her in this state. She used the old trick of only drinking down to the ice cubes and leaving essentially half the beverage in the bottom of the glass.

Paul walked into the bathroom already naked. He licked his lips as he silently watched her, not even realizing that he had done so. He missed these moments with Charlie. He was sure that if he could just remind her of how good things once were that she would see reason. He opened the shower door and moved up behind her, forcing her body against the wall.  His chest pressed against her back as he kissed her neck softly.

She jerked in response to feeling a presence behind her. Charlie looked at him with wild eyes and shook her head.

“Paul, we are not doing this. I am not going to cheat on Mike. I won’t hurt him like that. He’s a good man.”

Paul kept her pressed against the shower wall and ran his hand up her side. He asked, “Are you saying no because you don’t want this or because you don’t want to hurt Mike?”

Charlie hated that Paul knew her so thoroughly. He hit the nail on the head. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Mike because she did.

“Can Mike give you what you need?” asked Paul.

He continued kissing her neck and allowed his hands to roam her slick skin.

Charlie blew out a nervous breath and shrugged.

“I haven’t brought up the subject. It has barely been a week. I want the two of us to get to know one another more before I drop something like that on him. I don’t want him to feel like he has to do this to keep me because that isn’t true. He’s a good guy and he wants a commitment and I like that. I like knowing that I’ll be the only one,” said Charlie.

Paul’s hand dropped to Charlie’s thigh and he lightly stroked the exposed skin. He asked, “What if you get the commitment but he can’t give you what you need? It isn’t something that you can just stop doing. It would be like closing off a part of your personality. Doing that would cause you more pain than just being truthful with Mike.”

She shook her head and said, “Stop it.”

Paul moved an arm around her body and started to slowly squeeze her breast with his hand. His fingers grazed her nipple and he pinched it roughly.  “If you really want me to stop I will walk out of this shower and we’ll never speak of this again.”

Charlie leaned against the shower wall moaning at the feel of his hand on her breast and his hardened cock against her ass. She hated the affect Paul had on her. She whimpered quietly feeling her resolve slip away.

“I don’t want to break the two of you up, Charlie. I want you to be happy. You can believe it or not but I want Mike to be happy too. You can date him and love him but when you need me my door will always be open. I will always give you what you need, Charlie. You know I’ll never turn you away or judge you,” Paul said, his other hand lightly brushed against her slick lips.

He took his time exploring her moist folds. Paul knew exactly what to do turn her on and turn her mind off. If she thought about this too much it wouldn’t happen. This had to be strictly instinct on her part.

Her fear of losing Mike made this a much more attractive proposal. If Paul took care of her darker needs then Mike didn’t need to know anything about it. There was part of her mind nagging at her that she was missing something incredibly obvious but her head felt hazy and what Paul was doing felt so good.

She hissed in pleasure and said, “That would be cheating. This is cheating. I don’t want to hurt Mike. He’s such a good person, Paul.”

“It isn’t cheating if I am giving you something that he can’t give you. We’re like partners. I’m just protecting his blindside,” Paul murmured soothingly.

Paul was in no rush to get this over with because Bronson wasn’t expected until later in the night, if the paranoid supplier showed up at all. He kissed and sucked at Charlie’s neck and spread her lips for his probing fingers.

Charlie’s legs spread wider to give Paul easier access and she whimpered softly knowing that she had given in to him. There was no going back for her at this moment. She wanted him. She wanted this.

Paul smiled smugly seeing Charlie spread her legs for him. He quickly seized the invitation and rubbed her clit with his fingers. At first, the motion was feather light and slow. However, soon the rubbing became more insistent and rough. He ground his hard cock against her ass with a groan of pleasure, but kept himself from pushing it inside of her.

"You still haven’t said yes, Charlie. If I don’t hear yes then I’m going to have to stop. Say it and we finish this. Tell me you want me, Charlie. Say it,” he whispered breathlessly against her ear, his voice seductive in spite of the subject matter.

She whimpered and ground her slick mound against Paul’s hand. It was all she could do to remain sane. She needed more than just the touching. Charlie needed to feel him inside of her, but she couldn’t bring herself to say. He wanted her to verbalize her betrayal of Mike as if this weren’t enough.

Paul pulled his hand away from her cunt and placed a sharp slap against her ass. He smirked and said, “Well, I guess you want me to stop. That’s cool, Chuck.”

Charlie gasped in shock and rested her head against the shower wall again. She reached down and pressed two fingers into her wetness. Charlie quickly set up a feverish pace unable to stop herself. She needed release and she would get it anyway she could at this point.

Briggs chuckled at her frustration and reached out to still her hand. “Bad girl, Charlie. You let me get you all worked up and then you try to finish yourself off. That is still cheating isn’t it? I am the one that worked you up into this state. I am the one that you are going to be thinking about while you bring yourself off. What would Mike think?”

She cried out in frustration and said, “You are being a world class asshole right now.”

“I know but I’m doing it to help both of us. You will get tired of Mike eventually and you will come back to me or you can have the best of both worlds. You get your commitment from Mike and mind-blowing sex from me.”

Silence filled the hotel bathroom for a few minutes before Charlie finally relented. She nodded slightly.

“I see you nodding but what does that mean?”

“It means I want you to fuck me, Paul. I need you inside of me but we can’t let Mike find out. Don’t hurt him, Paul,” said Charlie.

He kissed her softly and said, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Chuck.”

Paul shoved two fingers into her cunt along with her own. He moaned hearing her grunt as she stretched to accommodate him. He ground his hard cock against her ass even harder.

Paul groaned loudly, his mouth pressed firmly against her ear and whispered, “You’re mine. You always were and you always will be.”

Charlie shuddered hearing those words fall from Paul’s lips, but she could not be bothered to respond. She was too busy thrusting against their combined fingers in a quest to get the orgasm that had been building since he stepped into the shower.

Paul roughly fucked Charlie with his fingers until he was certain that she was on the brink. He extracted their fingers from her drenched sex, grasped her slender hip, and eased his cock into her.

Charlie let out a guttural groan feeling Paul inside of her. It was as if he was trying to invade all of her senses and she was allowing it. She thrust back against his cock in desperation. Charlie needed him all the way inside of her.

“Fuck,” he cursed softly, he set up a punishing rhythm but was mindful that Charlie didn’t hit her face on the shower wall.

Paul gripped her hips tighter as he fucked her harder and faster. He moved his mouth back onto her neck, kissing and biting at it, as his thrusts grew deeper. He didn’t know if he’d ever get a chance to do this again so he intended to make it count. He wanted her to remember this moment. He groaned and grunted, the sounds muffling against her neck as he continued to nip at it. The moans and cries coming from Charlie’s throat were like a siren’s song beckoning him forward. She wanted this as much as he did even if she did try to fight the idea initially.

Charlie was barely making sense to herself now as she begged, “Harder, Paul. Fuck! I need it harder. Please. I can’t get this from Mike. You know what I need.”

Paul could feel himself getting closer as she moved back against him and begged for it harder. Charlie had always liked it rough and Paul did too. Hearing her say that Mike couldn’t do this for her nearly sent him over the edge. It validated some need in him that he couldn’t explain. He forced himself even deeper into her, groaning as he did. He moved one hand off her hip, and brought it against her ass several times in rapid succession.

The sound of the wet slaps seemed to echo off the tiled walls. He moved his hand down to her clit. He rubbed and pulled at it as his mouth still teased the skin of her neck, nipping at it harder than before.

That was all Charlie needed to send her over the edge. She announced her release with a strangled cry as her body thrashed against Paul’s frantically in an attempt to drive him deeper into her.

Paul let out a growl as he could feel the orgasm rippling through her, Charlie’s body tightened around his cock.

"Fuck,” he grunted against her ear as he exploded inside of her, his head falling back in pleasure.

Charlie was barely keeping herself upright as she leaned against the shower wall. Her knees felt weak and she felt like she was coming apart at the seams. She could feel Paul pulsing inside of her and didn’t want that feeing to go away.

Paul slowly pulled out of Charlie and rested his body against hers. His arm circled her waist to make sure she didn’t slip and fall. Paul’s breath fell heavy against Charlie’s shoulder as he started to come back down to Earth. Once they were both in control of their faculties, he spun Charlie around and looked into her dewy eyes.

“You are so fucking amazing. Do you know that? Do you know how crazy you make me? I lose all sense of reason when it comes to you, Charlie.”

“You do the same to me, Paul, but I don’t think that’s a good thing. Look at us. What the fuck are we doing?” asked Charlie.

Paul said, “Don’t think about it or you’ll talk yourself out of a good thing.”

“I should have thought about it beforehand to talk myself out of a terrible thing,” she said, she chuckled bitterly.

“We didn’t do anything wrong and I’m not asking you to break up with Mike. He’s a good kid.”

“No, you’re just asking me to lie to him and make a fool of him. Does it make you feel good, Paul? Does it stroke your ego enough? Paul Briggs always gets what he wants, no matter who gets hurt in the process. Will you care when I lose Mike?”

“I’ll leave you to finish your shower,” said Paul. 


	8. Quiet on the Western Front

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Charlie try to talk but they get interrupted by reality.

 

Paul’s gaze was drawn to the bed as Charlie finally took a seat after finishing her shower. His stomach tightened as his eyes roamed over her exposed legs and thighs. The tiny sequined dress did not leave much to the imagination but that was her cover. She was supposed to be into the party scene and slutty clothes were sort of the uniform. He willed himself to focus on the situation at hand.

Paul swallowed thickly and moved over to the bed with Charlie. He asked, “How long are you going to be mad at me for what I did at the Drop?”

Charlie said, “I’m not mad at you, Paul. I was angry that night but I’m over it. Everything is just awkward because Mike knows we have a past. I'd like to keep him from knowing that we have a present.”

“How much does Mike know about our past?” asked Paul, he was curious.

“Not much. He knows that we started dating not long after you were assigned as my training officer. He also knows that until recently we still hooked up every once in awhile. I haven’t told him anything else and he hasn’t thought to ask. I guess I will tell him the whole truth at some point.”

Paul nodded and asked, “Does he know that we were in love?”

Charlie scoffed, “Were we?”

He reached out and cupped her face with both hands, “You know that we were. You are hurt now because of how it all ended but we did love each other, Charlie. Well, I know that I loved you.”

Charlie heard the sincerity in his words but it all felt so hollow under the circumstances. 

“I’m not so sure anymore, Paul. I have been thinking about the beginning a lot since Mike came to Graceland and I see so much of my former self in him, but he’s different. I would have done anything for you but Mike doesn’t follow as easily as I did. He’s in awe of you but not so much that he overlooks the chinks in your armor.”

Paul searched her eyes and asked, “Did I hurt you? Did I manipulate you into doing something you didn’t want to do? Just tell me the truth.”

He was honestly asking because he didn’t know. Paul was charismatic and sexy. Many people did things for him for those reasons, but he never meant for Charlie to be one. His feelings for her were genuine.

Charlie didn’t answer right away because she was struggling with herself. This was a conversation they should have had a long time ago. She wondered if Paul’s interest had more to do with Mike than any legitimate interest in her.

She sighed, “No, you didn’t manipulate me or force me into doing anything that I didn’t want to do, Paul. That goes for tonight too. I was on board from the moment we left the dance floor. It is just harder to break away from you because of the bond that we shared.”

Paul nodded and said, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You helped me learn more about me than anyone else ever has. Those things that you found in me were already there. You did not put them there, Paul.  I was just young, things spiraled out of control, and I wanted more than you could give me. I used to think that you just didn’t want to but I recognize now that you just can’t. Something or someone is holding you back.”

The older agent thought back to the girlfriend he lost in the first undercover house. He never recovered from that. Paul never figured out how to let people get close again. Charlie came closest to breaking through his shell but even she failed. He was brought out of his thoughts hearing her phone chime.

“I’m sure that’s Mike messaging you again. He doesn’t trust me with you. He’s a smart kid,” said Paul, he smiled ruefully.

Charlie bit her lip and retrieved the phone from her purse. She looked at the screen and said, “It’s Bronson. He’s on his way here.”

Charlie turned the transmitter back on and said, “Bronson is on his way here. His ETA is 15 minutes. Everyone get ready. Make the bust after he walks into the hallway with the money.”

Paul returned to his position on the bed and waited for Bronson to arrive. Finally, they would get this guy off the streets and he wouldn’t have to worry about Charlie’s safety.

The time ticked by slowly until finally there was a heavy knock on the door.

Charlie looked out the peephole and frowned. She turned back to Briggs and shook her head.

Paul whispered into the transmitter. “Standby, Bronson is not at the door.”

The brown-haired agent opened the door and asked, “Can I help you?”

The man at the door looked to be in his early twenties and was sweating bullets. He was holding two large duffel bags.

“Uh, Bronson sent me. My name is Austin. Are you Charlie?”

Charlie had to temper her anger at the dodge. She needed quickly to decide how this meeting should play out. They could arrest the courier but that would put them no closer to bringing down Bronson and her cover would be blown.

She smiled and said, “Yeah, I am. Come on in. It is nice to meet you, Austin.”

He smiled in return and replied, “Likewise.”  

She closed the door after the nervous young man entered the suite.

“Where’s Bronson? I don’t really feel comfortable dealing with anyone else,” said Charlie.

Paul made eye contact with Charlie nodded at her. It was a signal to go ahead with the buy even without Bronson.

Austin explained, “He sends his apologies but something else came up. He couldn’t make it but he didn’t want to put you off any longer. We can still do the deal if you are interested.”

She wanted to scream in frustration but instead she said, “I guess I don’t have a choice. I don’t have enough product to wait any longer. I’ve got the money.”

Charlie walked over to the bed and picked up a similar duffel bag.

She said, “We exchange and then we both check the bags before you leave here.”

Austin nodded, placed the two bags on the bed, and accepted the moneybag from Charlie. He placed the bag on the dresser and quickly started to count the banded stacks of money. The kid was obviously smart because he was doing the math in his head.

When he was satisfied that all the money was there he nodded at Charlie and asked, “Are we good?”

Charlie said, “We’re golden. Tell Bronson I look forward to doing business with him again.”

She walked him out and then locked the door once he was gone. Charlie sighed heavily, “That was a complete bust.”

Paul said, “I don’t think it was. Bronson is cagey and he is suspicious of everyone. This is the first time that you two were meeting for a buy. He sent someone in his place to make sure it wasn’t a sting. He sees that it wasn’t and he’s more likely to show up next time. The bureau gets a win because this is a lot of that synthetic shit off the streets and they have more of it to analyze. They’ve had a hard time getting their hands on it on the street.”

Charlie sighed and said, “I guess so but now I have an ass load of paperwork to do and I’m going in to say I don’t have the cash.”

Paul laughed and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you with the paperwork. We’ll do a heat run back to headquarters just in case Bronson has someone waiting to follow us.”

“Thanks…”

Johnny burst into the room as Charlie and Paul were about to leave. He was a little out of breath because he stripped out of his tactical gear before running down the hall.

Paul looked at the younger man curiously. “What is it, Johnny?”

“We just got word from Gerry at headquarters that Mike was shot tonight outside of Bello’s house. It looks like it was a hit intended for Bello. He walked away unscathed.”

Charlie felt like her heart stopped beating. She said, “Johnny, tell me that he’s okay.”

“All Gerry knows is that Mike is at the hospital and he’s in surgery. He’s in contact with the PD now trying to piece together what happened.”

Charlie asked, “What hospital is he in? I’m going there.”

Paul said, “Mike is undercover and so are you. You know that you can’t go there.”

Johnny said, “Briggs is right, Charlie. You could blow Mike’s cover by showing up at the hospital.”

“I’m not going to blow his cover. Bello shouldn’t even be there. He should be at the police department being questioned, right? Even if he is there then I’m a friend or a girlfriend or his freaking sister! I’m going and you can’t stop me. What hospital is he in?”

Johnny said, “Providence Hospital.”

 

 


	9. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a secret that could destroy relationships and Graceland. Whose secret will is worse?

As Paul walked toward Mike’s room on the trauma floor of Providence Hospital he spotted a few agents dressed in plain clothes. Supervisory Agent, Gerry Silvo, assigned them to keep an eye on the rookie while he recovered.

The police were operating on the premise that Bello was the intended target. However, the bureau was investigating all angles and had not yet determined if Mike’s cover was blown. Local law enforcement thought Mike was just one of Bello’s employees and the bureau intended to keep it that way. There were more leaks on the PD level than a sieve.

The news outlets were reporting that Bello’s chauffeur was injured in a gangland shooting. The police withheld Mike’s picture and the name of the hospital in an effort to protect him from Bello’s enemies. It would not be the first time that a shooting victim was targeted in the hospital.

Paul walked into the darkened hospital room and his eyes fell onto Mike’s bed. The younger man was asleep with an arm curled around Charlie’s body. There was hardly room for the two of them but somehow they made it work.

He placed a bag on the bedside table. Before he left the house, Paige insisted that he take a change of clothes, toiletry items, and snacks for Charlie.

It was day three of Mike’s hospital stay and Charlie had not left his side since he came out of surgery. A friendly nurse on the night shift slipped the dark haired agent a pair of scrubs yesterday so she could change out of her sequined club dress. Charlie ate when Johnny or Paige dropped by with takeout for her.

To say that she was worried about Mike would be an understatement. Charlie cared about Mike so his injures would have made her worry regardless of their relationship, but the guilt of her betrayal was eating her alive.

Paul felt some guilt as well. While Mike fought for his life, Paul had sex with his girlfriend. He couldn’t think of a bigger way to screw someone over. His guilt was part of the reason he had kept his distance since that night.

In Mike’s heavily medicated condition, he didn’t notice Charlie’s strange behavior or Paul’s absence but Jakes and Paige were both concerned about their fellow roommates. The kid was expected to make a full recovery and it wasn’t the first time any of them had been shot on the job. Paul and Charlie’s reactions seemed overboard.

Jakes tried to talk to Briggs about the situation but the older agent brushed him off. He had other things to do like getting Mike back up for his case. The bureau still wanted the rookie to continue he relationship with Bello.

Paul went to bat for Charlie and convinced Gerry to put her on the Bello case. The older man relented when Paul made the argument that Mike was too green to work the Bello case on his own. He needed another agent to play back up and Charlie would be perfect for that.

Bello already cut Paul out of the mix when he hired Mike on to be a firearms instructor for his crew. There was no way for him to go back under with Bello without it looking suspicious. Johnny was a wildcard and drug lord would be suspicious if a new guy just popped up.

The agents at the bureau had to scramble to put together a backstopped cover ID for Charlie that would blend seamlessly with Mike’s cover. Paul didn’t like the idea but he owed Charlie and he knew that she was a consummate professional. Mike would be safe with Charlie as his back up.

Paul had a seat in the chair next to the bed and closed his eyes for a moment. It was 7:00 at night but he had been awake since 4 AM. He was drilling down on every piece of intel that came through the bureau about the shooting at Bello’s house.

He wanted to find the assholes that shot Mike but more importantly, they needed to know if a turf war was brewing. The last one Bello was involved in left 14 dead bodies in its wake. Paul wasn’t about to let history repeat itself on his watch.

Whoever wanted Bello dead wasn’t just going to give up. The bureau received proof of that earlier in the day. Bello when was targeted as he left a restaurant after lunch. Fortunately, no one was killed in the drive-by shooting but two innocent bystanders were injured.

Paul sat in silence for nearly an hour before he noticed signs of life coming from the hospital bed.

Mike shifted and groaned in pain as he tried to sit up in the bed without waking up Charlie. He knew his hospital stay was taking a toll on her. Earlier he tried to convince her to go home for a while to no avail. It was nice having Charlie there. He couldn’t even tell his family he was in the hospital. Being an undercover agent was much harder than Mike ever imagined.

Paul said, “Glad to see you awake, rookie.”

Mike’s eyes shot over to Paul and he flashed a tired smile. He hadn’t seen Paul since he got shot, but he didn’t mind that. His training officer had been busy working his case.

He asked, “Any updates?”

Paul winced after hearing the scratchiness in his voice. He grabbed the pink plastic water pitcher and poured Mike a cup of water.

“Here drink this and see if that doesn’t help some.”

“Thanks,” said Mike, he gratefully took the cup of water and drank it down in one quick gulp.

The older agent refilled Mike’s cup before sitting back down.

“We’re narrowing down the field of suspects but no joy yet. Bello has made dozens of enemies in his quest to consolidate the street gangs and the drug trade. We did get a small break today. The vehicle used in the drive-by Friday night was found crushed in a local junkyard. The owner called the police when he realized someone used his crusher after hours,” said Paul.

Mike closed his eyes and asked, “Did you get anything from the car?”

“It is slow going. They are taking the car apart in sections and trying to dust any recognizable surfaces for prints. We took elimination prints from the owners that reported it stolen two days prior to the shooting.”

“I’m surprised the local police are sharing evidence so willingly,” Mike joked.

It was no secret that the local police didn’t enjoy federal agents horning in on their cases. It usually turned into a pissing contest. It sometimes looked as if the feds believed they were the better investigators. They wouldn’t understand the bureau’s interest in the case since they decided to maintain Mike’s cover.

“Well, when the assistant to Deputy Director Sam Campbell makes a call not many people tell him no. It came from on high that FBI processes all of the evidence collected in the case and we share our findings with local law enforcement.”

Mike’s jaw tightened in response. It was because of the deputy director that he was even in this hospital bed. He admired Sam Campbell greatly but he didn’t like the position he was put in. The deputy director was the one that informed Mike that he was at Graceland to investigate Paul. They wanted him to investigate the man that was supposed to groom him into an agent.

A training officer was meant to mentor and serve as a counselor. Mike was supposed to be able to go to Paul with whatever was burdening him about the job but he couldn’t do that. He had no one he could be completely honest with about his assignment. Not even the woman he was rapidly falling for.  

Paul gave Mike a curious look. The younger man appeared to be brooding over something.

“What’s on your mind, Mikey?”

Mike snapped out of his funk and shook his head.

“I’m just wondering if Bello has any ideas on who is behind the shooting. I’m guessing the police didn’t get anything useful when they interrogated him,” said Mike.

“Bello stayed mum throughout the interrogation, but we knew he wasn’t going to play ball. He doesn’t know who is behind the attack because he’s put money out on the street for information. I’m sure he’s going to up that price tonight. Someone made another attempt on Bello’s life this afternoon outside of Fraîche. Two people were injured but Bello managed to get away clean again.”

Mike laughed and said, “His luck is going to run out at some point. I just don’t want a lot of innocent citizens there when it happens.”

“Mikey, we’re working our asses off to make sure that doesn’t happen but right now we don’t have enough on him to take him off the streets,” said Paul.

“Maybe you clean lean on his girlfriend. I took him to her house Friday night. I don’t see Bello being the type to be big on pillow talk but you never know what she might have overheard.”

“That would be our last resort. Approaching Bello’s girlfriend might blow your cover and compromise our case. We don’t know who knows about her. If you’re the only one then that means you’re the one that talked.”

Mike blew out a frustrated breath and said, “Of course. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Hey don’t beat yourself up. You have two brand new holes in your body and you’re hopped up on pain medication. How is she doing?”

“I tried to get her to go home earlier but she wouldn’t hear of it. She said that she’ll go home when I do.”

Paul nodded, “That sounds like Charlie. When do you get out of here?”

“My doctor said that I would be good to go in two days. I’d leave AMA if I didn’t think Charlie would kill me.”

In a sleepy voice, Charlie said, “And I would kill you.”

Mike smirked and said, “I don’t doubt it.”

Charlie sat up and placed a quick peck on Mike’s lips.

“Thanks for joining the conversation, Chuck. How long have you been awake?” asked Paul, he laughed quietly.

She gingerly climbed out of the bed as to not disturb Mike’s injuries. She finger combed her hair and said, “I’ve been awake since you filled Mike in about Bello getting shot at today.”

“Paige packed a bag for you. She expects you to be showered and out of those scrubs when she comes to visit Mike tonight. I don’t think she was joking,” said Paul, he nodded at the bag on the bedside table.

Charlie opened the bag and chuckled, “That’s our Paige. I could use a shower. I’m sure Mike is tired of me wearing scrubs.”

Mike said, “No, you look great in scrubs.”

She tossed a scowl in his direction and said, “No one looks good in scrubs. No one.”

Mike grinned at her and said, “You make everything look good, Charlie.”

She laughed, “I am going to take a shower. You don’t tire yourself out talking to Paul.”

He laughed, “Yes, dear.”

Charlie smirked and said, “I think I’m going to like being your fiancé. I do so love to wear the pants.”

Mike smirked, “I did whatever you told me to before you were my fiancé.”

She held her hand out in front of her face and admired the modest engagement ring on her finger, “Maybe I just like the way this ring shines.”

“Don’t get used to it. If I really gave you an engagement ring, it would be better than that. The rule is that the ring should cost at least three months’ salary,” said Mike.

“Well, this is what a former Marine working as a chauffeur can afford. I guess my fiancé is just going to have to work his way up the ranks of the organization to buy me something nicer,” said Charlie.

Paul ground his teeth in anger but he huffed out a laugh and said, “Aren’t you two cute.”

Charlie walked into the bathroom with the bag.

Mike said, “Charlie said that you fought to get her assigned as my back up. Thanks for that, Paul.”

“Not a problem. I can’t have my rookie getting murdered. It looks bad on my track record. Besides, you are going to need help. Bello takes loyalty serious and you taking two bullets meant for him put you in a great position to get closer to him. The bureau has already arranged an apartment for your cover. When you’re released from the hospital you and Charlie will go there and get settled in. We’ll want you to make contact with Bello and invite him over. See if he takes the bait. Tell him you want to go back to being his chauffeur. You’re out of the Marines and you’ve got a fiancé to provide for.”

Mike said, “He might not want an injured guy driving him around but I’ll do it.”

Paul stood and started to head for the door. He said, “Listen, I’m going to get out of here. I am going to head back to HQ to see how the dusting process is coming along. I’ll let you know if anything comes up. Tell Chuck I’ll drop by tomorrow.”

Mike asked, “Everything okay with the two of you?”

Briggs stopped and turned around. He shrugged, “Yeah, as far as I know. Has Charlie said anything?”

“No, I’m probably just reading something into nothing. She’s been different since I got shot,” said Mike.

He relaxed and replied, “She’s just worried about you, Mikey. We all are. I think every agent knows someone that died in the field. It’s an awful feeling and she got real close to that Friday night.”

“Yeah, I guess she did. I made a rookie mistake walking toward the street. I don’t know what I was thinking. It all happened so quickly. I was ready to drop Bello off and head over to the Whitmore. Gerry said it was cool if I hung out in the tactical operations suite with the guys. I just had a bad feeling about Charlie that night. She was all I could think about while I was waiting on Bello to come out of his girlfriend’s house. I kept thinking about Bronson’s reputation and how many times he rescheduled the meeting. I didn’t think I was in any real danger. I was just going to clear the car as a threat and then leave.”

“When did you realize you were in trouble?” asked Paul.

“I knew I was screwed when the lights on the SUV flipped on. There was no way for me to get out of the way of the bullets in time. I did the only thing I could do. I fired at the SUV as I went down. I hoped that I would at least wound or kill one of the assailants in the process.”

Paul said, “Well, you might have done just that. We haven’t seen the inside of the car yet. There might be blood. Where there is blood there is DNA to run through CODIS. I’m glad you made it, Mikey.”

“Thanks, Briggs. I’m glad I made it too. The best thing about waking up after surgery was that Charlie’s face was the first thing I saw. I’m a lucky guy.”

 


	10. Redondo Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's done in the dark always comes to the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a beta so all mistakes are my own. I was in a rush to get this chapter up but I hope everyone likes it.

Mike stood behind Charlie with his arms wrapped securely around her waist. He kissed the back of her head as he watched her stirring the massive pot of sauce. The rookie agent relished the quietness of their new digs. He felt that in this place he could truly be himself. This last week was the most relaxed he had felt since being assigned to Graceland.

Here he could concentrate on perpetrating one lie at a time. His sole mission was to ingratiate himself to Bello and work his way up in the organization. Being shot while protecting the crime boss went a long way in achieving that goal.

Tonight Bello would be stopping by their apartment to meet with Mike and no doubt thank him for saving his life. The only cause for concern was introducing Charlie as his fiancé. Bello might be suspicious about why his chauffer never mentioned the relationship.

However, Briggs was sure that Mike and Charlie would be able to sell the cover convincingly. They were after all in a relationship. The rookie briefly thought he sensed irritation in his training officer’s tone of voice but he dismissed it, as it was Briggs that got Charlie assigned to the case.

Mike had faith in their ability as agents but it was still cause for concern having Bello in their cover identities’ duplex apartment in Redondo Beach. It was a decent two-bedroom unit in an up and coming neighborhood. An identical apartment shared a common wall but it was vacant and would stay that way unless the bureau decided Mike and Charlie needed backup. Graceland was only a 10-minute drive away and tonight a small tactical team would set up in the vacant apartment. The techs had worked hard to make the apartment look lived in by the couple. It was staged with a few personal pictures to really sell the cover.

Mike said, “I thought you only made sauce once a month. Why did you decide to make it for tonight?”

She took a sip from her glass of wine and said, “I’m in a good mood and you didn’t get to enjoy it last time. Besides, you have been out of the hospital for a few days and we haven’t had the chance to celebrate.”

He teased, “It looks like you are breaking all the rules for me.”

Charlie chuckled quietly and elbowed Mike in the stomach. She caught the double meaning in his statement.

Mike winced and groaned quietly, “You elbowed a man that is recovering from being shot. Where’s your compassion?”

“Well, considering I let you sleep on and off for 48 hours, I think I am incredibly loving. Briggs thought I should wake you up and wean you off the pain medication, but I couldn’t do that to you. You were in so much pain still and exhausted. You needed the rest.”

“Well, thank you for that. I was in no condition to meet with Bello when I was first released from the hospital. I guess I should have realized I would be in more pain when I started walking around but I didn’t. Not to mention I over did it that day by going to the bureau to get an update on the case.”

Charlie grimaced and said, “I’m still going to kick Johnny’s ass for not bringing you straight here from the hospital. I don’t know what you were thinking.”

When Mike made it home that night he collapsed in the bed and was too tired to even move. Charlie worried all night long that he would have a setback and end up in the hospital again. Fortunately, a couple of days of bed rest and pain medication helped get Mike back on his feet.

“I was thinking I wanted to find the person that shot me up before some innocent civilian meets the same fate or worse. When I heard that they found DNA in the SUV I wanted to be there when they ran it through CODIS.”

She softened a little hearing Mike talk about the blood in the car. Briggs gave her a heads up to monitor how the rookie was handling the situation. Charlie still couldn’t believe the bureau would assign someone so green to Graceland. Mike was a great agent but he was learning a lot of hard lessons early in his career.

She said, “Paul said there was a lot of blood in the car.”

“Yeah, he thinks the man I shot is dead. His name was Caleb Royston. We don’t know much about him other than he was the suspect in the murders of three people in Dallas, Texas and he did time for attempted murder here in California. The bureau has the local PD keeping their eyes open for a body. It is likely that his accomplices disposed of his body before crushing the car. I’m just frustrated that we aren’t any closer to figuring out who is after Bello. Caleb was a hired gun. He would work for anyone for the right price. There’s a good chance that everyone in that car was a hired assassin without ties to the person waging this war against Bello,” Mike explained.

He blew out a slow breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Mike didn’t feel guilty about killing someone that was probably responsible for shooting him but it was heady to kill someone for the first time. None of the training at Quantico prepared you for that. The bureau wanted Mike to see a psychiatrist but he was concerned that it was just a ruse to get him in to see Juan Badillo. He didn’t need to see his control officer. He needed actual help but admitting that to someone in the bureau was a great way to never move up the ladder. He had heard the stories of agents that languished until they got the hint and moved into private security.

“Are you okay?” asked Charlie, she twisted around in his arms so that she could look at his face.

Mike said, “I didn’t get into this line of work to kill people but I knew that it was part of the job. I’m okay. It isn’t like the way it was when Eddie killed himself. I felt guilty about that, not this.”

“You have nothing to feel guilty about on either account, Mike. Eddie chose to work for a man that had no problem blinding him in one eye for a perceived failure. How many dead bodies do you think Eddie was responsible for as Bello’s right-hand?”

The rookie agent nodded in understanding. He said, “I’m not saying that Eddie was a good man. He deserved to go to prison for his crimes. If someone murdered him, I wouldn’t feel sad about his death. My guilt is because we pointed that loaded gun at him and pulled the trigger.”

Charlie kissed him softly and then countered, “We couldn’t have pulled the trigger if he wasn’t already playing with the gun. These guys know what they are risking when they get into this life. Just like we know what we’re risking when we take that oath.”

Mike nodded, “I know, Charlie. I just have a lot on my mind and it is hard to let it go.”

“You can always talk to me, Mike. I’m your friend, I’m your girlfriend, and I’m your partner. Whatever burdens you are carrying you don’t have to carry them alone,” she whispered, Charlie rested her head on his chest as they stood together.

“There is no one I trust more than you. I’m just scared if I show you who I really am that you won’t want to be with me anymore,” Mike confessed.

Charlie felt her heart stop hearing those words tumble out of his mouth. It was as if he breathed life into her private thoughts. Although she couldn’t imagine what Mike could possibly be hiding that would cause him that level of distress. Paul pulled his file soon after he was assigned to Graceland and shared the contents with Charlie. He wanted her take on why a top graduate wouldn’t be given his choice of assignments. She knew everything about him that the bureau did and they dug deep with new agents. Before an agent was hired, they had to undergo a lie detector test and were quizzed about their lives to reveal inconsistencies.

She took a step back and looked up into his sad eyes. Charlie touched his face and said, “Nothing you could say would ever make me turn away from you, Mike. There’s nothing so bad that could make me stop loving you.”

He tilted his head and searched Charlie’s eyes intently.

He asked, “You love me?”

“I think that I might be falling in love with you. I’ve never felt like this before. When I heard you were shot and I thought I might lose you…nothing else mattered to me, Mike. Not my badge. Not Graceland. Not even Paul. I knew that if I lost you I would never be the same and that scares the shit out of me. I’ve only ever been in love one time before and it ended in disaster.”

Mike asked, “Was it Briggs?”

Charlie nodded and said, “I fell in love with him while he was my training officer. It was a whirlwind and I got swept up before I knew it, but there was no substance there. Paul is incapable of loving anyone. I don’t think he even really loves himself. He just lives day to day.  He’s broken and I was young and foolish enough to think I could fix him but I couldn’t. He just brought me down and hurt me. He broke my heart and it took time to recover from that. After that, I decided that I didn’t want a relationship with anyone. I would get laid to take care of my needs but I never wanted anything serious. Eventually, the rift between us healed and I was able to be friends with Paul again.”

The younger agent had an eerie feeling and didn’t know what to make of it. The impassioned look in Charlie’s eyes made him concerned that something was wrong.

Charlie took his hand and led him back to their bedroom.

Mike gave her a quizzical look and asked, “What’s going on?”

“You weren’t shot in the head, Warren. Surely you know when you are being seduced.”

He smiled slightly, “Charlie, Dr. Rivers was pretty clear about me not overexerting myself. I’m almost positive that sex is on that list.”

Charlie said, “Well, I don’t intend for you to overexert yourself. I intend for you to have a seat and let me take care of you.”

Mike didn’t believe her. He saw a familiar look in her eyes. It was the same look she had the afternoon before the incident with Paul at the Drop.

“Charlie what’s going on?”

“What are you talking about?”

Mike said, “I just feel like something is wrong.”

She laughed, “Nothing is wrong, Mike. I just want to take care of you and I think that you should let me do that.”

“There is something I need to tell you first, Charlie. I feel like…I don’t like feeling like I’m lying to you even if it is by omission,” said Mike.

Charlie said, “Well, if we are both being honest then I feel like there is something that I need to tell you too, Mike. I just don’t want to lose you. You have to promise that no matter what your reaction that you won’t just give up on our relationship.”

He eyed her and got an uncomfortable feeling. She seemed overly emotional and had since his time at the hospital but Paul assured him it was just the shooting putting her on edge.

Mike said, “You go first.”

“That night at the Whitmore Hotel Paul and I had drinks at the bar while we waited for Bronson. We thought he might have people watching the hotel to monitor us. He sent over some of his product for us to sample. We thought drinks would help us give off the party vibe.”

The younger agent didn’t say anything as he waited for Charlie to continue. He already knew how this story ended. Charlie’s strange behavior made all the sense in the world now. She wasn’t devoted to him at all she felt guilty. It hurt more than he would have expected.

“I was a sweaty mess after dancing on that roof so I went to take a shower and Paul followed me in there. I should have said no. I did at first but I caved fast. I’m so sorry, Mike. It was so stupid.”

Mike asked, “Are you in love with Paul?”

“No, I haven’t been in love with Paul for a very long time. It was the alcohol and the proximity. We slid back into old patterns. I promise it won’t happen again. Paul wants to keep the relationship going behind your back but I can’t do that. I won’t do that. Can you forgive me?” Charlie asked, she searched his face for his honest reaction.

“There is nothing to forgive, Charlie. It was a mistake. We all make mistakes. Your inhibitions were lower because you were drinking.”

She was unsure if she should believe Mike or not. They were all taught to lie but something about his demeanor made her feel as if he was being truthful.

Charlie sat next to him, “I’m so sorry. It will never happen again. I won’t betray you like that again.”

Mike pressed a kiss to her temple and smiled, “I believe you.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you for being so understanding.”

He nodded, “Not a problem, Chuck.”

Charlie frowned hearing him call her the nickname Paul used most often.

“I think I am going to take a nap before Bello gets here for dinner. I need to bring my A game tonight.”

“I thought we were going to…”

Mike smiled, “Maybe later. I am actually really beat. We can have fun later. We can celebrate my being out of the hospital and maybe a victory in the Bello case.”

Charlie was starting to wonder if Mike actually forgave her or not, but badgering him wouldn’t make things any better. She got up and headed for the door.

“Get some rest, Mike. I’ll wake you up an hour before Bello is supposed to arrive.”

Mike scooted back onto the bed and laid down, “Thanks, Charlie. Close the door will you?”

She nodded and pulled the door closed behind her. Charlie paced their small living room wondering what was going through Mike’s head. He had every right to be angry. She cheated on him with Paul while he was fighting for his life. Worse, she had let Paul visit Mike in the hospital as if nothing happened. Part of her wished that she had kept the secret to herself. It only served to hurt Mike but at the same time, she couldn’t see keeping something this big from him. No matter what lies she had convinced herself of that night what she did with Paul was wrong.

Eventually she settled down on the couch and rehearsed her cover ID for what felt like the millionth time. There was no room for error. Bello was likely to be more suspicious than normal now that someone was out to kill him.

About an hour later, the phone rang and Charlie rushed to answer it as to not disturb Mike’s nap. He was off the pain medication so he had a clear head to meet with Bello. He would need the rest.

“Hello?”

Paul said, “Hey, Chuck, I need to talk to the boy wonder. Put him on.”

“Can this wait? He just laid down for a nap an hour ago. He’s still trying to recover, Paul. You know what it’s like to be shot.”

“No can do. This comes straight down from Gerry. I need to talk to Mike about Bello’s drug connection with the Caza Cartel. I promise that I won’t keep him on the phone for long.”

Charlie sighed and said, “Fine but I am serious about him needing rest. Hold on.”

She walked down the hall and opened their bedroom door. Charlie frowned seeing that Mike wasn’t in the bed. In fact, it didn’t look slept in at all.

Charlie backtracked down the hall to the bathroom and saw that it was empty.

“Paul, he’s gone,” Charlie reported in a panicked voice.

“Gone? Where did he go? I thought you said that he was taking a nap.”

Charlie hissed, “I don’t know where he went, Paul! He told me he was taking a nap and I left him alone. Now he’s gone. Oh God. I shouldn’t have said anything to him.”

Paul’s jaw clenched in anger and he slipped out onto the beach for privacy from his roommates.

“Said anything to him about what, Charles?”

“I told him about us. I told him that we slept together the night he got shot. I couldn’t keep lying to him, Paul. He said that he forgave me but that he wanted to take a nap. He must have slipped out of the bedroom window as soon as I left the room. Where would he go?”

Paul ran a hand over his face and said, “Don’t worry about it, Charlie. I’m sure he just needed to blow off some steam. He’ll be back soon. Check to see if he took the car.”

Charlie walked into the living room and peered out of the window.

“The car is gone,” she reported.

“He’s relatively new to the area. There aren’t many places he could be right now. I’ll come over there and find him. Don’t worry about anything.”

Charlie said, “I screwed up.”

Paul said, “Hey, you didn’t do anything wrong. Telling him the truth was the right thing, Chuck. I’ve got to go.”

He ended the call and shoved the phone into his pocket. Paul walked out to his jeep and found Mike sitting in the passenger seat.

“Well, you made my job a lot easier. I don’t have to look for you because you’re here. Charlie is worried sick about you, Mike. Why are you here?” asked Paul.

“I think you know why I’m here. Let’s not play games. You said that you would back off but the minute my back is turned you sleep with Charlie. You’re a great training officer. I don’t get it. You didn’t want her until she showed interest in me. What is this? I’m a better agent so you decide to prove you’re the better man for Charlie? Not likely Mr. surfs every morning and drinks tequila for breakfast.”

Paul said, “Watch it. I still outrank you.”

“Did you pull rank when you fucked my girlfriend?” asked Mike.

Paul asked, “Why are you here? What is this? Do you want a fight?”

Mike shook his head and said, “Nope. I’ve been shot. I would lose. I just came by to tell my mentor that I forgive him.”

“You forgive me? You seem pretty pissed off.”

“Well, I have to forgive you because we work together. I might be a better agent by the book but you are one of the most effective agents in the field. There are things that I can learn from you that no one else is going to be able to teach me, Briggs. I want to put all of this behind us and move forward. Charlie isn’t interested in cheating on me. I’m asking you as a man and as my training officer to back up and let us figure this out. If we crash and burn I won’t say a word about you pursuing Charlie but at least give me a chance, man.”

Paul nodded slightly and said, “Yeah, I can agree to that. I broke my own rules about not screwing up shit at Graceland. I just saw Charlie being serious about you and it made me regret my decisions in the past but I can’t change the past. I haven’t seen Charlie in a relationship with anyone since we were together. I wasn’t prepared to see this but interfering with your relationship just puts all of us in jeopardy. I don’t want that and if I hadn’t been drinking I probably would have talked myself out of that move. Just don’t break her heart, Mike. Charlie is a lot more fragile than she likes to let on. There are parts of her personality that she’s afraid to share with you. She doesn’t want to scare you off and I played on that fear. You shouldn’t blame her.”

“I don’t blame her, Paul. Everyone makes mistakes. I’ve made a lot in my own life. I’m glad we could talk about this like adults. I need to head back to the house.”

Paul nodded, “I’m sure Charlie will be glad to know that you’re okay. Before you go, I needed to let you know that Gerry wants you to press Bello on his drug situation. We know he’s buying from the Caza Cartel and we want to bust his ass when he’s flush with heroin. Bello can’t stay on the street much longer or he is going to get people killed, more than usual.”

“I’ll try to work on it tonight while he’s over for dinner.”

“Good deal.”

Mike climbed out of the jeep and walked back to his car.

“See you around, Briggs.”

He nodded and turned to head into the house.

Mike climbed into his car and watched Paul disappear into Graceland.

Mike said to himself, “I can forgive Charlie for a lapse in judgment, but I won’t be forgiving you, Paul.”

He took out his cell phone and called Juan Badillo. Mike waited impatiently as the phone rang.

“Agent Warren, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me altogether.”

“No, I’ve just been trying to recover. I’m better now and I’m meeting with Bello tonight.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I passed a message to you through Gerry Silvo about trying to get more information on Bello’s drug connection. He just thinks the higher ups want Bello in custody because someone is trying to kill him.”

“Briggs told me. What’s your interest in Bello’s drug deals?” asked Mike.

“You wanted proof that Paul Briggs is dirty? Well, this might be the ticket. You’re investigating him because every drug bust he’s part of comes in significantly underweight.”

“What do you mean? You think Briggs is stealing drugs before be logs them into evidence? Why would he do that? Besides the bureau, gives random drug tests. He can’t be using the drugs for himself.”

Juan said, “I wouldn’t expect him to be using. Not in these quantities anyway. Sometimes the hauls are several kilos light. I think he’s ripping off the drugs and then selling them on the street for money.”

“What do you want me to do?” asked Mike.

“You need to make this cover ID with Bello work. I need you higher up in the organization so that you can be there when he gets his next drug shipment. Briggs will bust Bello then. You will see firsthand how many kilos are supposed to be logged into evidence. This might be the only way to catch Briggs in the act.”

Mike said, “I can’t promise anything, Juan. Bello might not be receptive to me moving up the ranks so quickly but I’ll do my best. If Briggs is dirty then I want to take him down.”

“Glad to hear it. I was starting to worry that Briggs’ legendary charm was working on you.”

“Not even a little bit. I see Paul Briggs for exactly who he is. I’ll be in touch when I have an update.”

Juan said, “Get well soon, Mike.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Promotion

Mike walked into the quiet duplex trying to suppress the guilt he felt for his behavior. Walking away from his girlfriend and his undercover operation was reckless and childish. It was something he would have never considered doing before Graceland. On the East Coast, he felt better equipped to handle everything thrown at him. This assignment and his roommates had turned his life upside down in a relatively short amount of time.

The rookie agent was beginning to wonder if this assignment was above his head, but saying anything would be career suicide. He would have to see this through. If Briggs was dirty then he would bust him. If not he would ask to be reassigned to the Los Angeles office after his training was up so that he could continue seeing Charlie.

He would have been home two hours ago but he walked around the stores in Redondo Beach looking for a gift for Charlie. If it were not for Paige’s assistance, he would still be walking aimlessly through the stores. He couldn’t walk through that door empty handed after storming off like a petulant child. Moreover, he needed to make things right with Charlie. It took a lot of courage for her to come clean about cheating on him.

Mike had no interest in following in his training officer’s footsteps. He wasn’t going to lose Charlie.

“Charlie?” Mike called out.

“I’m in the bedroom getting ready for dinner. Come back here,” Charlie replied.

He walked down the hall and paused in the doorway with a smile on his face. He watched as she pulled the black cap sleeved dress over her curves. The dress fit Charlie perfectly.

“You look beautiful, Charlie.”

“Thank you, Mike. Can you zip me up?” asked Charlie, her back was turned to Mike and she lifted her dark locks out of the way.

Mike put his purchases on the dresser and watched Charlie for a moment. He took a step forward and lightly caressed her bare skin with his thumb. Reluctantly he zipped the dress and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

“Thanks. You should start getting ready. Bello will be here in 90 minutes,” said Charlie, she shook out her hair and walked across the room to pick up a pair of modest strappy heels.

Mike said, “Before I get ready there is something I want to give you. Can you come over here?”

Charlie had a seat at the foot of the bed and asked, “What do you have to give me?”

He picked up the flowers and the two shopping bags.

She raised an eyebrow and asked, “You went shopping?”

“I felt bad for how I left this afternoon without saying anything to you. It was immature and stupid. It is something that will never happen again. I stopped off to buy something for you to express my regret.”

Charlie’s features softened somewhat. In his absence, she assumed that their relationship was over or it was at least in need of great repair.

“Can you forgive me?” asked Mike, he had a seat beside her on the bed.

 “Well, professionally I am angry that you walked away from an operation without telling your partner. However, personally I don’t have a leg to stand on. If you wanted to walk away from this relationship and our friendship, I doubt anyone would blame you. No matter how I sugarcoat the situation I cheated on you. I was drinking and my inhibitions were lower but it means that there was something in me that wanted to have sex with Paul. Alcohol doesn’t make you do things that are out of your normal character. You just do those things without fear or consideration of the consequences.”

Mike said, “I already told you this afternoon that I forgive you, Charlie. I just needed time to figure out how to be okay with Briggs. I still have to work with him and at the end of the day, he’s a good agent. From a development standpoint, I don’t think I could have a better training officer. The way he looks at cases in three-dimensions is amazing. He’s reckless at times and reminds me of juggler but he always manages to catch all the balls. That is a skill I want to learn from him.”

Charlie said, “Paul is amazing in that way. You see him pull off operations that you just know a hundred other agents would botch. Not to mention he is just so damn charismatic. Are you okay with Paul now? He said that you two are okay but I’d like to hear it from you.”

“I trusted Paul and I thought he was a friend. It hurt that he pursued you behind my back. I was angry and I thought about how to handle it but everything just made me angrier. I needed to see him face to face. I don’t think we’ll be BFFs anytime soon but I’m okay with Paul. If I lost you…I would do anything to get you back. I understand where he is coming from.”

She intertwined their fingers and leaned her head against his shoulder. It was a relief that Mike was back and their relationship was still intact. Nonetheless, she was concerned about being tempted again.

“I’m glad that the two of you were able to come to an understanding. That’s really good news, Mike. What did you get me?”

Mike smiled and said, “I bought you flowers that Paige told me were your favorite. I stopped by Victoria’s Secret and picked up something I think you will like. Lastly, I bought a movie for the two of us to watch after this dinner with Bello.”

Charlie couldn’t hide the grin on her face. It was an incredibly sweet gesture even if it was born out of guilt.

“What movie?”

“The Untouchables. I didn’t need Paige’s help for that. I remember you mentioning that it is your favorite movie of all time.”

She placed a kiss on his jaw and then on his lips.

Mike relaxed after realizing Charlie was no longer angry. He deepened their kiss as his fingers tangled in her dark hair. His other hand fell to her lap and inched its way underneath her dress.

Mike caressed her thigh and tried nudged them apart but groaned feeling Charlie pulling away.

She laughed softly and said, “Bello will be here soon. This makeup will have to wait until later. You need to get showered and dressed so that you are ready when he arrives.”

He grumbled in displeasure but knew that Charlie was right. Their personal relationship would have to take a backseat for the operation.

“It won’t take long for me to get ready.”

Charlie watched him walk out of the bedroom. She called after him, “Don’t rush! I don’t want you to hurt yourself in the process. You’re still injured.”

“Yes, dear,” Mike teased from down the hall.

She smirked and picked up the Asiatic Lilies Mike bought for her. She inhaled deeply enjoying the fragrance. Charlie decided they would be a good addition to their sparse dining table.

She went into the kitchen and found a vase to hold the flowers. Charlie placed the flowers on the small dining room table and checked the sauce for the last time of the night.

Charlie heard a knock on the adjoining wall of the vacant unit and knew the tactical response team was in place just in case the operation went sideways. She walked over to a lamp in the living room and turned it on. The lamp contained a transmitter so that the team could hear everything happening in the apartment.

“We are live guys. I promise to bring over the leftovers when this night is over.”

She eyed the place settings and smiled at the large bread knife on the table. Mike would be wearing his holstered gun but she didn’t exactly have anywhere to hide a gun on her body. There was one concealed in the small wet bar behind the table but she would have to get up to get it. She picked up the bread knife and took it to the kitchen. She looked at the other options and selected a 14-inch chef’s knife.

In a pinch Charlie’s knife throwing skills were admirable and could come in handy under pressure. She wanted to be prepared for anything that might happen. Mike was a good agent but he was young and injured.

There was a knock at the back door that Charlie assumed was a member of the tactical team. She glanced out of the small window and then opened the door seeing Paul standing on the other side.

She asked, “Everything set up over there?”

Paul said, “The transmitter in the living room is picking up sound clear as a bell. Oh, Johnny wants you to know that he expects a double portion of that dinner. He’s jealous that you’re making it for Bello.”

“I’m not making it for Bello,” said Charlie.

He nodded and looked down at his feet for a moment.

Briggs flashed a smile, “I know that you’re making it for Mikey. That’s good. I’m glad the two of you are okay now. I should get back over to the other apartment. Good luck, Chuck.”

Charlie nodded and said, “Thanks, Paul.”

She closed the door and took a breath. It was awkward but not as bad as she might have thought. However, she knew this meeting was subdued because the transmitter was on in the living room. The duplex was so quiet and small that the tactical response team might be able to pick up their conversation.

Charlie went to the sink and washed her hands. She decided to work on the salad to distract her from thinking about Briggs. The only thing she could focus on right now was the operation. Bello was the target of a hit squad and it wouldn’t be long before they had a full-fledged street war on their hands.

After awhile Mike walked into the kitchen wearing black slacks and a dark blue button up shirt. He figured it was the right attire to wear when having your boss over for dinner. Even if that boss was a murderous drug dealer.

Mike walked up behind her and rested his hands on her hips. He kissed the side of her neck and said, “I can’t wait until this is over.”

Charlie said, “The tactical response team is set up next door and the transmitter is on.”

He laughed and raised his voice, “Hey guys…”

Charlie laughed softly and whispered, “Aren’t you glad that you didn’t say anything inappropriate?”

“What do you mean? Like…I think your ass looks amazing in this dress,” Mike whispered, he playfully grabbed her ass then moved over to open a bottle of wine.

Charlie heard a knock at the front door and said, “That will be Bello.”

Mike said, “I’ll get it.”

He checked his holstered weapon before opening the front door with a smile.

Bello grinned cheerfully, “Michael, it is so good to see you up and moving under your own power.”

“Mr. Bello, it’s good to see you. Please come in.”

The older man walked into the house and handed Mike two expensive bottles of wine, “I thought we might be able to enjoy this with our dinner. I didn’t know if white or red wine would be appropriate so I brought both.”

Mike closed and locked the door behind him, “Thank you for bringing wine. The red will go perfect with our dinner for the night. My fiancé made Italian for dinner.”

The younger man set both bottles of wine on the dining room table.

Bello said, “Well, it smells delicious. How are you feeling, Michael? Are you healing well?”

“I was really lucky that neither of the bullets hit any organs or bones. The doctor things that my recovery time will be fairly fast. I’ve been feeling pretty good since I was released from the hospital.”

“I see you are wearing your gun…”

Mike smiled sheepishly, “Getting shot gives a man a different perspective on safety. My fiancé lives here with me and I want to know that I can protect her if anything happens.”

Bello understood that desire completely. He moved his family and his mistress out of harm’s way following the second attempt on his life. He always kept his family well ensconced but he was unwilling to take any chances.

“I understand your concern and I am looking for the bastards that did this to you. When I find them, I will take them apart slowly. They came after me again Monday afternoon.”

Mike feigned surprise and asked, “What happened? Was anyone hurt?”

“I was having lunch at Fraîche and when I went out to my car there was another drive-by shooting. They missed me by a mile but they will not miss again. If I were ordering this hit after two failed drive-bys I would opt for a more personal approach.”

Mike saw his opening and decided now was the time to make the pitch. He was going to wait until after dinner but the opportunity to show his loyalty was too great to pass up.

The rookie agent’s jaw tightened and he said, “I’d like to come back to work for you, Mr. Bello. I want to be there to watch your back.”

“I appreciate the offer, Michael, but you were just released from the hospital. I have bodyguards to protect me.”

“You hired me to protect you and I want to do that. Whoever these people are they are going to keep coming for you. You have a lot of great men working for you but they are inexperienced in a lot of ways. I’ve seen combat and I know how to handle myself under pressure. Even if I can’t go back to being your bodyguard at least let me work out a security plan for your house. I can mark off perimeters and show the men how to do threat assessments and property sweeps.”

Bello considered Mike’s offer and it was more attractive by the moment. He had many people working for him that were willing to kill but they were barely trained. To set up a complex security system like the one Mike was describing would take someone with far more skill and experience than his men possessed.

“You have convinced me, Michael. I would like for you to come back to work for me this weekend. We will work out the supplies and personnel necessary for the security plan that you have in mind.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bello. I’ll start brainstorming and I will be ready for this weekend.”

The older man removed a thick white envelope from his pocket and said, “I was going to give this to you as a token of my appreciation. Your vigilance that night saved my life. I am in your debt, Michael.”

Mike took the envelope with a shocked expression, “Thank you, Mr. Bello but this is not necessary.”

“I take care of the men that risk their lives for me. Take it.”

“Thank you.”

Charlie walked out of the kitchen drying her hands on an apron.

Mike said, “Mr. Bello this is my fiancé, Charlie.”

He smiled appreciatively at Charlie and shook her hand, “It is nice to meet you. I wish that I could say that I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m afraid our Michael has kept you a secret.”

She smiled, “Mr. Bello, it is very nice to meet you. Well, Mike is a private person. Sometimes getting him to talk at all is like pulling teeth. I came out to tell the two of you that dinner is ready. Mike can you help me bring everything out to the table?”

Mike smiled and said, “Sure.”

“Mr. Bello, please have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

Charlie and Mike disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a couple serving platters.

Bello chuckled, “I didn’t know that I would be having such a feast.”

Charlie smiled, “I’m sorry. I always cook like this, but it is nice to have leftovers. Mike likes to raid the refrigerator when he comes home late. We are having sun-dried tomato brushetta, a caprese salad, and braciole with linguine. I hope you enjoy it.”

He was impressed by the spread and smiled pleasantly, “I am sure that I will love it.”

Mike opened the bottle of chilled red wine and poured each of them a glass.

Everyone served themselves and settled into a comfortable silence while they ate.

“How long have you and Mike been together? I was surprised when he told me that he had a fiancé.”

Charlie said, “We’ve been together for four years. Mike and I met at a shooting range of all places.”

Bello laughed, “You were at a range?”

“My family owned the business and I was working the counter during the summer when Mike came in. He was worried about passing his sniper’s test so he came to the range to sneak in extra practice. We met and just sort of clicked. We’ve been inseparable since even when he was transferred.”

“That sounds like Michael. He has a lot of dedication and he’s very proficient with a gun. You didn’t mind the moving around?”

Charlie said, “I hated the moving. We moved from Washington, D.C. to North Carolina when Mike was stationed at Camp Lejune.  Then he was deployed for six months and that was a hard six months. Then he was stationed at Camp Pendleton. I was so glad when his six years was up and he opted out. I don’t want to do anymore moving.”

“Many women would not have made the sacrifice to move around so much. You’re a lucky man.”

The trio talked cordially over dinner for another two hours before Bello finally left.

Mike locked the door once Bello drove away.

He sighed and said, “Well, we got through dinner with Bello. All clear guys.”

Charlie took off her heels and sat down on the couch, “It was a success, and I think it was all because of my sauce. He loved it.”

“Well, it was good. I am glad that I was able to enjoy it this time. I am also glad that we have leftovers because I am going to want more over that.”

“Get some while it lasts. I promised to send the majority of the dinner over to the boys. Johnny was especially jealous that he wasn’t here to eat it.”

He laughed and said, “Thanks for the heads up. I might just have to hide all of it. I don’t want to share.”

Mike took out the envelope and placed it on the coffee table. He sat next to Charlie on the couch.

“What is that?”

“Bello’s gratitude for getting shot,” Mike quipped.

Charlie opened the envelope and let out a low whistle, “That is a lot of gratitude.”

“How much is it?”

Charlie finished counting and said, “It is $7,000.”

Mike said, “I’ll write the report in the morning.”

There was a knock at the back door and then Paul and Johnny entered through the kitchen.

Johnny said, “Hey, I came over here to get my plate before Mikey could hide all of it.”

Mike laughed and said, “I was only joking, Johnny.”

Charlie laughed and said, “I’ll come with you. I don’t want you eating all of it, Johnny.”

Briggs said, “Looks like you will be moving up the ladder with Bello. You’re his head of security now. Good job, Mikey.”

Mike said, “Thanks. I was glad he bought my pitch. I might need your help coming up with a good plan. I really do need to help keep him alive. There can’t be any gaps in the perimeter and his property isn’t small. There are a lot of blocked sightlines because of foliage.”

“Sure whatever you needed just let me know. You may need to change the direction of some of his cameras and trim some of the trees and bushes to clear the sightlines.”

Mike said, “I was thinking of posting a guard in one of the street facing bedrooms on the second floor.”

Paul thought about it and said, “That will work. The guard should see any vehicles approaching the house.”

Mike laughed hearing arguing from the kitchen, “Sounds like Johnny isn’t happy.”

Briggs chuckled and walked into the kitchen as Charlie swatted Johnny with a wooden spoon.

“What’d he do, Chuck?”

“He stuck his grimy fingers into the salad to fish out a piece of mozzarella. Out! Out of my kitchen! I’ll pack away enough food to feed the team without your help.”

Johnny pouted and said, “Come on, Charlie. I was starving over there. My mouth was watering the whole time and that was a really long dinner. I thought he was never going to leave.”

Mike laughed, “I don’t think she’s going for it, Johnny. You should leave while you still have all your fingers.”

He huffed but walked out the back door.

Mike and Paul leaned against the counter watching Charlie move around the kitchen.

Briggs realized what he was doing and averted his gaze.

“This isn’t bad for a cover ID. You should see some of the rat holes I’ve stayed in over the years.”

Mike had not missed Paul’s stare. He replied, “Yeah, I really hit the jackpot with this one.”


	12. The Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie opens up to Mike. Will he do the same about the real reason he was assigned to Graceland?

Mike was sitting on the bed reading a book when Charlie walked into their bedroom fresh from the shower. He lowered his book and smiled seeing that she was wearing the blue chiffon and lace babydoll nightgown he bought her from Victoria’s Secret that afternoon. Her damp hair was finger combed to one side of her hair. He really did love everything about Charlie. She was gorgeous but he loved her most because she was there for him when it mattered most. Hers was the first face he saw after waking up from anesthesia. Charlie came to him that night on the beach when he thought guilt would swallow him whole. They had a connection from the first day they met and it had only grown stronger.

“You look amazing, Charlie. I knew that you would.”

Charlie smirked as she sauntered over to their bed and said, “I’m not sure this is actually a gift for me, Mikey. I feel like this is more so a gift for you. A little post surgery gift for you to unwrap?”

He grinned sheepishly and said, “Guilty as charged. However, in my defense I did buy your favorite flowers and favorite movie. Both of those gifts were actually for you, but can you blame me for wanting to see you like this…”

She moved onto the bed and kneeled between his spread legs. Charlie tilted her head to the side and pretended to think about the situation.

She heaved a fake sigh and said, “I guess I can forgive you for buying me lingerie.”

Mike leaned forward and kissed her softly. His mind was at ease now that they were back to normal. She had forgiven him for walking away from the operation and he forgave her for sleeping with Paul but there was something still nagging at him.

Charlie pulled back from the kiss and studied his pensive expression.

“What’s wrong? You’re body is saying you really want to take this off of me but that kiss is saying I might as well be your grandmother.”

He huffed out a laughed and leaned back against the headboard.

“If you keep talking about my grandmother the rest of me is going to tag out of this, too. I don’t want to talk about anything. I just want to undress you and have my wicked way with you.”

Charlie said, “Mike, I was honest with you today about what happened with Paul. Have the decency to be honest with me about what’s going on with you right now. I know something is off. Just tell me…”

Mike blew out a frustrated breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He really did not intend to bring this to Charlie. If there was something, she was neglecting to tell him it was not his place to force it out of her. At the same time, the notion that she had another secret with Paul was eating at him. We worried that this secret would ultimately drive Charlie into the other man’s arms.

“Paul said something to me this afternoon and I guess it has been on my mind since then. I’ve got no right to ask you about it. If you wanted me to know then you would tell me. I guess I’m just curious.”

Charlie’s expression soured and she moved to sit beside Mike. Her heart started to beat faster. She could only think of one thing Paul might have said to Mike. It was a low blow and she had the urge to find Paul and give him a piece of her mind.

“What did Paul say to you, Mike?”

 “He said that I shouldn’t blame you for what happened because he played on some fear of yours. You don’t have to tell me, Charlie. Our relationship is still new and you’re allowed to have secrets. I just want you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I forgave you for cheating on me. I can’t think of anything else that would make me feel differently about you. I know Paul said that to put a wedge in between us but it isn’t going to work.”

She cleared her throat, “Well, I guess when you put it that way I look silly for holding this back.”

Charlie scooted up on the bed so that she was sitting beside Mike. She took a deep breath.

“You don’t have to do this, Charlie. I just don’t want you to feel like there is something Paul could tell me that would make me change my mind about how I feel about you because that is the furthest thing from the truth.”

“No, I know I don’t have to but I want to tell you. I don’t want to fear losing you anymore. When I was a rookie agent, Paul and I caught a sex trafficking case. It was a Ukrainian organized crime operation working out of an underground BDSM sex club. The local police and the bureau knew about the activities but the few times they raided the club all of the girls were there voluntarily. Several high profile people frequented the club and no one was looking to ruffle any feathers so they just turned a blind eye to the shady dealings. It was like that for years until three girls were murdered and a fourth was left for dead in a hotel room. The bureau knew if we busted the club, we would lose the girls. Either the Ukrainians would move them or just kill them and cut their losses. A loyal customer approached the bureau and offered his assistance. He would vouch for an undercover officer under the condition that we maintained our cover. The Ukrainians could never know he betrayed them. The bureau jumped on the chance.”

Mike said, “This loyal customer must have had friends in very high places to work a sweetheart deal like that.”

“He was the CEO of a very successful company and had a lot of powerful friends.  It was the break that the bureau needed. They were more than happy to keep his name out of it. Paul and I went to the club undercover as a dominant and a submissive couple.”

The younger agent’s jaw went slack for a minute before he quickly recovered. He didn’t want Charlie to feel self-conscious. He could see she was nervous from her tense posture.

“I’m assuming you were the submissive?”

Charlie nodded, “Could you honestly see Paul as submissive?”

Mike chuckled, “No, I can’t say that I could. What happened?”

“It was a long case because Paul was attempting to get closer to the Ukrainians. The women working at this club weren’t trafficked women. They either were in the lifestyle or needed the money. The girls they were trafficking were reserved for prostitution and the rougher stuff off site. We needed a location on the girls before we could make any moves. We spent months in that club working our covers to the best of our abilities and eventually it paid off. The leader of the crew had a younger brother, Lev. Paul and I got close to him and we were able to use him to get a location on the warehouse where the girls were being held. The bureau arrested everyone in the crew and we got all of the girls out of there alive.”

Mike had an idea of where this was going but he learned from earlier to just shut up and let Charlie talk. However, he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

“Paul and I were in a relationship at the time but it carried over into our work. You can’t go to a BDSM sex club for months and not participate. You stick out like a sore thumb that way. We wanted to get closer to the Ukrainians but couldn’t do that if we were simply observers. We made the operational decision to do a couple of scenes. It isn’t the first time two agents have gone above and beyond undercover. Those scenes are what pulled Lev into our orbit. He was attracted to me and he figured cops wouldn’t do what we did in a club full of people. It is sort of that thing where criminals feel comfortable if they watch you do drugs. Most of them know that cops and feds can’t do drugs even undercover.”

“Scenes? Like what?” asked Mike, his curiosity was getting the better of him.

Charlie cleared her throat and said, “Wow, I thought you would have run screaming from the room by now. Um, some bondage and impact play among other things.”

“We’re both adults, Charlie. We have both had sexual relationships with other people. You don’t know what I have done sexually just like I don’t know about your past. There is no reason for me to run screaming from the room.”

“I guess you have a point. I just know that some people look at it as deviant behavior, in public no less. I couldn’t stand it if you looked at me that way.”

Mike said, “Deviancy is in the eye of the beholder. It is something that goes against social mores like tattoos were 30 years ago. Now everyone has a tattoo. Even I have one despite my parents’ protests. With Fifty Shades of Grey making the rounds I’m sure there are a lot more people interested in some of the kinks out there.”

Charlie laughed, “You read 50 Shades?”

“No, I didn’t read the book but my ex-girlfriend did. She told me all about it. My point is I am not judging you, Charlie. Can I ask how serious you and Paul were about the lifestyle? I don’t know the rules about asking a girlfriend about their past relationships.”

“I agreed to tell you my secret so everything is pretty much fair game at this point. I can’t say that we were ever serious. It was never a permanent fixture in our relationship. It did sort of take center stage after we broke up and we’d meet outside of the house to hookup. It was like a stress relief for both of us sometimes.”

“Is that what happened at the hotel last Friday?” asked Mike.

“No, it wasn’t like that it was just…listen I don’t expect you to be Paul. I don’t want you to be Paul because we’re not together. Whatever connection we have on a sexual level wasn’t enough for me. I needed more and he couldn’t give me more. I’m completely happy with the two of us being a vanilla couple.”

“Who are you trying to convince, Charlie? I think you will try to be happy but I think you will feel like you are missing something. Besides you are making one very big erroneous assumption.”

Charlie asked, “What?”

“You are assuming that I am completely vanilla. I know I have a baby face but I’m not a child, Charlie. I’ve done a lot more than you are giving me credit for.”

It was Charlie’s turn to look dumfounded. She wasn’t sure what to say so she remained silent for awhile.

She asked, “Really?”

Mike chuckled, “My girlfriend used 50 Shades of Grey as a way of broaching the subject of BDSM. We had used handcuffs and blindfolds before but nothing more than that. We both wanted to learn more so we attended a couple of demos were we met people who have been in the lifestyle for years. We learned a lot and explored what we both liked.”

Charlie started to laugh and said, “I don’t know what to say to all of that. What happened between the two of you? Why did you break up?”

“Tandy and I weren’t really right for one another. We realized that somewhere along the way. It was hard to break up but I knew I didn’t have a future with her and that’s what I want. One day I want to get married and have a family. I want to wear weird dad sweaters on Christmas and embarrass my kids with my lame stories about my youth. Tandy wanted to travel the world and she definitely didn’t want to get married. She liked the idea of being a free spirit. I’m not that guy and I couldn’t pretend to be that guy to keep the relationship.”

“I am still shocked. I thought you would be the one in disbelief.”

Mike smiled, “Well, you told me the truth and the world didn’t end. Now you don’t have to be concerned about Paul telling me anything. I know everything and I’m still here. If you ever need stress relief…”

Charlie laughed, “You want to be my stress relief?”

“Oh, I definitely want to be your stress relief. I also want to take this thing off of you…I should have gifted you air.”

Charlie laughed harder and said, “You’re still injured so I will handle all of the unwrapping. Get naked.”

Mike said, “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

He quickly shucked off his boxers and grinned at her.

 


	13. Burning Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Charlie try to get back to normal but they aren't alone?

Mike lay back in the bed with a pensive look on his face. The young FBI agent was mentally chastising himself for his lack of self-control. Tonight should have been a glorious reunion but it turned into an unsatisfying romp between the sheets for Charlie.

He was angry with himself for letting her down when there was so much on the line. Mike forgave Charlie for her indiscretion but that didn’t mean it was forgotten. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was comparing the two experiences. This was his chance to prove to her that he could be a great lover, but his attempts fell short. Charlie’s moans of pleasure sounded hollow and forced.

Mike couldn’t prove it but he was certain she faked the orgasm for his benefit. Logically, he understood that his body had undergone a major trauma. It was natural for his stamina to take a hit. Furthermore, he was still recovering and had a limited range of motion. However, it did nothing for his pride or the mild paranoia that now lurked in the corners of his mind.

It was one thing when Paul’s desire for Charlie was unrequited. It was quite another to know that she could so easily succumb to his overtures. He couldn’t stop imagining the two of them having sex. The worst part was that Charlie was in love with Paul once upon a time. He wondered if any old feelings were resurrected during their tryst. Moreover, he kept wondering if he had any right to be angry. Their relationship was new.

Finally, after several minutes of awkward silence Mike rolled closer to Charlie.

Charlie asked, “Is something wrong, Mike?”

She lightly drew circles on his chest. Her eyes were drawn toward the gauze covering his wounds. It was hard to see how close one of the bullets came to hitting his heart. She stared at that square of gauze the entire time they had sex. It was always in the back of her mind and made it impossible for her to relax or really enjoy the act. She was really only doing it because she knew that Mike needed to feel good about them.

He debated asking her if she faked the orgasm but somehow he felt like the answer would be as unsatisfying for him as the sex was for her. She was unlikely to come out and tell him his performance was lackluster. It was more likely that she would lie to him and bolster his ego or God forbid placate him by saying it happens to everyone.

Mike decided he had to take a different approach completely. He smiled, “Everything is fine. I just can’t get enough of you.”

Charlie felt him maneuver his athletic frame on top of her. His talented mouth explored her, starting with her mouth. He kissed her deeply and passionately, if not a little desperately. 

A small moan slipped from the back of her throat as Mike slowly kissed around her jaw line and down her slender neck. Her neck was always her weak spot. The entire time, his hands stroked and teased her hardened nipples.

Mike was particularly fond of the perfectly shaped peaks. He pinched her right nipple with just the right amount of pressure as his mouth enveloped the left. Mike stayed that way for quite some time. He sucked and nibbled, alternating between each breast as he worked. Mike started to grind his hardening cock against Charlie’s thigh.

Charlie squirmed beneath him and said, “Mike, you’re injured. I don’t think this is any time for a repeat performance.”

He let his teeth graze her nipple as one of his hands lightly trailed down the skin of her abdomen. His fingers moved lower and gently brushed against her pussy. Mike teased her relentlessly, merely exploring her without giving any real pleasure.  His thumb skimmed over her clit repeatedly, he enjoyed the way her body seized with each caress.

However, when he lightly tweaked the hardened nub Charlie bucked as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. She looked up into Mike’s darkened eyes and knew there was no talking him out of this and she didn’t really want to talk him out of this. Instead, she grasped his hand and pressed it firmly against her pussy.

“Please…” she whimpered desperately and quickly bit her lip.

Mike smiled feeling quite pleased with his effort this time around. However, he took a moment to enjoy just how beautiful Charlie looked aroused and completely wrung out. He watched the way her breasts rose and fell with each hurried breath. 

“Don’t fight it, baby. We are here alone. There is no one here to hear us or interrupt us. I want to hear it. I want to hear you enjoy this,” said Mike.

Her genuine moans of pleasure were like a sweet melody. He was right about the previous orgasm being for show. However, he was determined to get her there this time around and in fine fashion.

Charlie ground into his hand as the pleasure became almost too much to bear.

*                                                        *                                                        *

Johnny knocked on Paul’s door and stepped into the room. He noticed that his friend had been acting a little strange lately. Jakes and Paige told him to let it go but that just wasn’t in his nature. The people in Graceland were his family and when they had a problem, he liked to think he could help even if he really couldn’t.

The other roommates thought of Johnny as naive if not a little stupid. However, that belief allowed him to overhear a wealth of conversations between his roommates. He was quite adept at reading between the lines. You didn’t make it out of his old neighborhood alive if you weren’t smart enough to read the signs. However, that didn’t always extend to not making an ass of himself. He was a goofball plain and simple but there was a difference between goofy and stupid.

He knew from the beginning that Briggs had a problem with Charlie sleeping with Mike. Johnny realized that the first night everyone overheard the two of them having sex. It was subtle but the tension in Briggs’ stance and the darkness in his eyes belied his cool exterior. His theory was proved after the quiet blow up at the Drop. Everyone knew it happened but no one talked about it.

“Hey, Briggs, we’re about to head over to the Drop. Do you want to go with us? It’s my treat for drinks.”

Briggs was so engrossed in the video on his screen that he didn’t realize his door opened until Johnny started talking.

Paul quickly closed his laptop and said, “Nah, I think I’m going to hang back here, Johnny. You guys go ahead and have a good night without me. I have to be up early in the morning for a briefing anyway. Gerry has new information on the dead guy from the Bello case.”

The younger man considered Paul’s suspicious behavior and started to grin like an idiot. He couldn’t help but let his mind go to the gutter. It was usually his first stop.

Johnny laughed and asked, “What are you doing, Briggs? Are you watching porn?”

The older agent gave him a deadpan expression but didn’t answer the question.

“You are watching porn! Seriously, bro?”

Briggs thought of protesting but it was easier to just agree with Johnny and send him on his way. He needed privacy and having the entire house empty would not be bad either. He could crank up the sound on the video that he was currently struggling to hear.

“You got me, Johnny. I decided to stay in for the night and watch porn. Rosie palm and her five sisters are going to keep me company. Will you get out of here now? Or do you want to watch?”

“No, I’m good on watching. We’re close but not that close, bro. Come on man. You should come to the Drop with us. You can find someone there to do all the work for you.”

“Nah, I don’t feel like putting in the effort. I’m not in the mood to lie to anyone.”

He was in no mood to pretend to be interested in the bevy of women at the bar. His mind would just linger on Charlie. Part of him knew that the best course of action was to leave her alone. She had obviously made her choice. He didn’t understand her thought process but it was obvious that Charlie was determined to maintain her relationship with the rookie. However, there was part of Briggs that was unwilling to let her go. Did she really love Mike or was her dedication the result of guilt?

Johnny asked, “Does this have anything to do with whatever you and Mikey were talking about outside today? I mean it looked like a pretty tense conversation.”

After the heated exchange, he overheard Paige and Jakes say that the situation would get worse before it would got better. Apparently, Charlie was confiding in Paige and in turn, Briggs was confiding in Jakes.

“There’s nothing going on with me and Mike. You should get going, Johnny. You don’t want to get there too late.”

That stung Johnny more than he would like to admit. It seemed like everyone was icing him out of the situation. If Charlie and Briggs wouldn’t confide in him perhaps it was time to talk to Mike. He had to help somehow before the house fell apart. Things were so awkward it was hardly bearable.

“Alright, I get it. You don’t want to talk about it. Good night.”

“Night…close the door behind you.”

Paul waited until Johnny closed the door before opening his laptop again. When the screen lit up there was a video of a couple having sex. He turned up the volume and stared at the screen intently. Paul knew what he was doing was wrong and if Charlie found out, she wouldn’t forgive him, but he couldn’t stop himself.

He took a moment to take off his boxers and kick them toward the foot of the bed beneath the blanket. Paul reached into his nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube. He quickly slicked up his hand and proceeded to do the same thing to his semi-erect cock. He had been completely hard before Johnny burst into the room without warning. However, Briggs had no doubt that he would be back at full mast in no time. The action on the screen was too hot not to get him there.

Paul started to stroke his cock while staring at the screen. Now he wished that he had put more cameras in the room. It was hard to make out some of the finer details at this distance. However, his mission had been rushed. Paul managed to get there after the crew finished setting up the cover ID apartment. However, he didn’t know how long it would be before Charlie and Mike turned up. He probably would have gotten caught if Johnny had not stupidly taken Mike to the bureau first.

*                                                        *                                                        *

 

Despite still recovering from being shot Mike held Charlie against the wall and pounded his cock into her relentlessly. Her screams of pleasure echoed off the walls in the silent house. He was grateful that the adjoining unit was vacant.

Charlie clawed at his back, drawing blood, as the intensity became overwhelming. In the time they had been together, Mike had never been so aggressive, so possessive, or so rough. Her neck and breasts were covered in love bites. His iron-like grip had no doubt left bruises on her hips and still she was hungry for more. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out his motivations but she was thoroughly enjoying the byproduct and it made her feel rotten.

Mike was supposed to be taking it easy during his recovery, but he couldn’t. He was determined and more than a little desperate to prove himself to Charlie. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t forget that while he lay bleeding on Bello’s driveway Charlie was having sex with Briggs. He felt the need to live up to it or surpass it in some way.

He ignored the searing pain in his chest and let out an animal-like growl as he felt her body wildly convulsing around his cock. Mike crushed his lips against Charlie’s, his lips bruising hers in the process.

She gasped, “Fuck! Oh God, I need you, Mike. I need this. More.”

His hips came to a stop and he just held Charlie there for a moment before allowing her legs to slide from his hips. He supported her weight while she found her balance again.

Charlie glanced into his eyes unsure of why he stopped. She was well on her way to her second orgasm of the night. Long forgotten was their earlier disappointing foray into sex. She threaded her slender fingers through his hair and kissed him.

He smiled and pulled back from the kiss. He winked and took her hand. Mike led Charlie to the dresser and bent her over it unceremoniously. His hand gripped her dark brown hair tightly as he ground his cock against her.

A shiver went down Charlie’s spine as she felt Mike roughly enter her from behind. At the same time, he kept a vice like grip on her hair. She clenched around him and let out a strangled moan.

Mike felt her body tighten around him as sweat started to bead up on his forehead. He was beginning to feel lightheaded and the pain in his chest was exponentially worse.

“Mike,” she mewled in a low voice.

Mike set a languid pace at the outset to tease Charlie. He had already triumphed by giving her a real orgasm. Now he fully intended to drive her crazy. Each thrust was slow but powerful. Mike made sure to bottom out inside of Charlie each time. The pain in his chest was enough to ensure he didn’t climax.

Charlie tried to wait for him to change speed but soon grew frustrated. She began to propel herself backward onto Mike’s cock. Charlie was single-minded and his movements were too slow. She needed friction and she needed it now.

Mike groaned in pleasure at her eagerness but quickly grabbed her hip to stop her movement. The rookie agent was intent on controlling the pace and getting his just desserts.

He tightened his grip on Charlie’s hair and pulled her head backward. He whispered, “Is he better than me, Charlie? Is that why you slept with him?”

Her eyes widened and she looked at him in the mirror. This moment felt eerily similar to her time in the shower with Paul. Both men wanted assurances and managed to get her in a compromising position to gain them. However, this time she meant it. She said, “Mike, it was a mistake.”

He shook his head and asked, “Was it a mistake, Charlie?”

Charlie moaned softly and said, “I promised it wouldn’t happen again. It won’t, Mike.”

“Good…”

She shivered seeing the dark smile appear on Mike’s face. This was definitely a different side of the rookie agent. She hated that it made her even more aroused. Charlie was thrilled when he released her hip. She began to thrust back against him with wild abandon. The only thing on her mind was having another earth shattering orgasm. She started feeling dizzy and had to grip the edge of the dresser to hold herself up.

“Don’t stop!”

Mike reached down and roughly pinched her nipple. He twisted it enjoying the whine it elicited from her. He continued to thrust roughly into her trembling body.

Charlie cried out in pain and pleasure as another orgasm ripped through her core.

He continued to thrust into her in relentlessly until she slowly started to come back down to Earth. He pulled out of Charlie and stumbled backward until he dropped onto the foot of the bed.

When Charlie finally collected herself, she turned around and saw that Mike’s chest was bleeding. The blood was streaming down his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. “Oh God, Mike.”

She rushed to his side and pulled back the bandage nearest his heart. “Shit! You tore open your stitches, Mike. This tear is really bad. We need to get you to the hospital.”

“I’m not going to the hospital. I know how to stitch closed a wound on my own, Charlie.”

She rolled her eyes and started getting dressed. There was no way she was letting him perform rudimentary first aid on himself while he was bleeding. The excessive bleeding could be indicative of something more serious.

After getting dressed, she found boxers, swim trunks, and a tank top Mike could slip into easily.

“I’m not going to the hospital, Charlie. It is no big deal.”

She threw the clothes at him and said, “Cut the macho shit. You got hit by automatic gunfire. By the grace of God, you are still alive. You are going to get your ass dressed and I am going to take you to the hospital or I’ll call Johnny and Jakes to drag your stubborn ass out of here.”

Mike stood up to slip on the boxers and swim trunks. He stumbled feeling lightheaded and nearly crumbled to the floor. However, Charlie rushed to his side and supported his weight. She quickly realized Mike’s other stitches were torn as well.

“How much blood have you lost? Here sit down. I’m not going to be able to get you out to the car. I’m going to call an ambulance for you.”

Mike said, “No, call Johnny. H will help you.”

Charlie sighed and said, “Fine. I don’t understand why you won’t just let me call an ambulance.”

Mike laid back on the bed feeling as if he might pass out. He closed his eyes.

 

 


	14. Transfer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie unburdens herself to Paige. In turn Paige asks the hard questions. Is Charlie moving too fast?

Charlie sat beside Mike’s bedside with a strained look on her face. The doctors said that a blood transfusion and fluids would have Mike back on his feet again but she still felt guilty. She knew that he was trying to prove himself and selfishly did nothing to stop him. It was her fault he was feeling insecure and she knew all about feeling insecure in a relationship.

She was grateful for Johnny showing up at the house as quickly as he did. For once in his life, he didn’t ask questions he just helped her get Mike to the hospital. The FBI had him checked in under an alias as not to draw Bello’s attention. They were still unsure what level of information he could intercept.

Paige walked into the room with two cups of coffee from a local chain. She said, “I thought that you could use this. I don’t think you’ll be getting any sleep tonight.”

Charlie took the cup and said, “Thank you. No, I’ll be up all night. Dr. Stinson said that Mike could go home in the morning. Thanks for being here, Paige.”

She took a seat in the chair beside Charlie and relaxed against the comfortable padding, “There is no need to thank me, Charlie. I’m your friend and I’m worried about Mike, too. Johnny said he looked bad off when he made it to the apartment.”

“I was putting pressure on his wounds to stem the bleeding but it wasn’t helping. Apparently, the doctor said Mike bled so much because of the heparin they gave him to break up a clot he developed after surgery.”

Charlie took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes in thought. She felt guilty for allowing Mike to go beyond the call of duty the way he had. When he passed out from the blood loss Charlie felt as if her heart might stop.

Paige said, “Blood-thinners. Well, that explains why Johnny said it looked like he might bleed out. I’m just trying to figure out how he ripped two sets of stitches.”

Charlie said, “He overexerted himself.”

The other woman shot her a questioning look and then it was as if a light bulb went off in her head. Her eyes widened a touch and then she just nodded, “Wow. I guess Mikey gets points for style. I haven’t asked what is going on because I knew that you would come to me when you were ready but you’ve been weird since Mike was shot. Is everything okay? You can always talk to me, Charlie.”

Charlie stood up and kissed Mike’s cheek.

She walked away from Mike’s bed. She said, “I can’t talk about this in here. I do not want to disturb Mike’s rest. He needs it after that blood transfusion. Let’s go for a walk.”

Paige nodded and followed Charlie out of the room. They took the stairs down to the first floor and then walked out of the hospital together. It was a cool night out and it was quiet with the exception of the occasional ambulance siren. However, this side of the hospital was the main entrance and didn’t have much traffic. Paige drank her coffee and waited for Charlie to start talking.

Charlie sighed and said, “I cheated on Mike the night he was shot.”

Paige’s eyes widened and she nearly spit out her coffee. She knew that Charlie and Paul slept together but she had no idea it was the same night Mike was gunned down. The two women had talked about the situation at length and decided it was best for Charlie to keep her distance from Paul.

“Wow…”

“Yeah, I told Mike the truth today because he told me that he was falling in love with me. I felt like I had to be honest with him. That’s why he showed up at Graceland to confront Paul, but he came back to the apartment with gifts and an apology for just walking out. He was actually apologizing to me.”

The other agent considered Charlie’s situation and was suddenly glad that she kept her hookups casual. She didn’t have time or patience to deal with matters of the heart. She was also wondering if Paul wasn’t right about his rule concerning relationships in Graceland. Paige couldn’t imagine the collective awkwardness that would descend on the house when Mike and Charlie’s operation with Bello ended. She and Jakes knew most of the details of the fiasco and Johnny was getting closer to figuring out parts of it.

Paige said, “I know that you care about Mike. He’s a great guy and I like him a lot. Are you sure things aren’t going too fast?”

“No, he is the full package. I want to be with him, that’s why I told the truth. I didn’t want any lies or secrets between us. I’m not saying we’re going to disappear to Las Vegas and get married in the drive-thru chapel but I want to give our relationship a real chance. I want to see if we can make a committed relationship work. I think we can.”

“Okay, I’m going to play devil’s advocate here so do not get angry with me. If he’s the full-package then why did you have sex with Paul?”

Charlie bristled at the question but she realized it was fair under the circumstances. She was so set on being with Mike but a week ago, she was having sex with Paul in the middle of a buy and bust operation. That was as close to a 180 as you could get in human behavior.

Charlie said, “Paul dug up some old insecurities and I fell into my old pattern with him. It is like a worn out slipper: you don’t need it anymore but it is damn sure comfy.”

Paige said, “You love Paul.”

She corrected her friend, “I loved Paul at a time. You know that better than anyone does, but he can never give me what I want. I spent years waiting for him to get himself together and it never happened. He doesn’t want to commit to me but he doesn’t want anyone else to get serious with me. I can’t put my life on hold forever for a man that refuses to get himself right. I know he has demons but he could see a psychiatrist and take that shit seriously. I have decided he doesn’t want to get better. I know what I want, Paige.”

“I get it. You are done with Paul but what if he brings up those insecurities again? Do you think your relationship can survive a round two? It might be better to pull back on the relationship and get yourself together before you ruin something you obviously want. Don’t let history repeat itself. Paul hurt you badly; do not do the same thing to Mike. He doesn’t deserve that, Charlie.”

Charlie took a sip of her coffee and said, “Those insecurities are a moot point. I told Mike everything tonight and he handled it like a trooper. Paul convinced me that Mike couldn’t handle the truth and I don’t why I listened to him. Mike loves me and he didn’t even bat an eyelash at my so-called dark secret, but I think more than anything I never want to hurt him again. He put a brave face on it but he was crushed by the betrayal, Paige. I don’t know if he’ll really be able to trust me but I’m willing to prove myself to him. I think I owe him that much.”

“What are you going to do about Paul? Do you think he will back off?”

She said, “Paul said that he would keep his distance but tonight during the Bello operation he tried to talk to me about us. He’s sent me a few text messages, too. I don’t think he is going to be willing to let this go. I am thinking of putting in a transfer. Maybe it is time I leave Graceland.”

Paige thought her jaw might hit the floor. She asked, “You’re leaving Graceland? You can’t be serious, Charlie. You love the work that we do there. You love the people that we share that house with every day. I can’t believe you would be willing to give all that up.”

“I don’t know what else to do, Paige. I need distance between Paul and I. I don’t want him to keep pushing when I’m not interested and I don’t want Mike feeling insecure. Nothing is set in stone but I am thinking about it.”

Paige said, “Let me talk to Paul. We have a good relationship. Maybe I can make him understand that he is forcing you out of the house. You are a friend but more importantly, you are a great agent. The house shouldn’t lose you because he can’t keep his hands to himself. You’re with Mike and that should be the end of it.”

“This is my mess and I’ll clean it up. I’ll talk to Paul sooner or later but for now I just want to focus on Mike.”

Paige looked over Charlie’s shoulder and sighed, “That might be easier said than done.”

Charlie turned around to see Paul walking toward them. She sighed and asked, “Could you head back inside to sit with Mike? I really don’t want him to wake up alone.”

She gave Charlie an unsure look but nodded, “Just send me a text message if you need me. For anything…”

Paul came to a stop next to them and said, “Johnny told me about Mikey. How is he?”

However, the truth was Paul was watching when Mike tore his stitches. He was captivated by the ensuing aftermath and extremely worried about the rookie. He was playing a fine line. Obviously, they were romantic rivals but he cared a great deal about Mike. He didn’t want to see him get hurt, that was part of the reason he offered to keep his affair with Charlie a secret. It was never about hurting Mike. He just didn’t want to lose out on the best thing that ever happened to him.

Paige said, “I’m going to go inside. Behave…”

Charlie waited until Paige was out of earshot before she said, “He’s fine. He tore his stitches and lost some blood. He’ll live.”

Paul stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and said, “I’m glad to hear that he is going to be okay. Johnny came home telling a horror story about all of the blood and the gaping gunshot wound.”

“It was bad but he’s had a transfusion. I can take him home in the morning.”

He nodded, “Gerry wants to know if Mike can continue the Bello operation. We can shut this whole thing down if need be, Charlie. Mike’s health and welfare comes first.”

He was worried about Mike getting himself killed. He was seriously injured. It wasn’t a great idea to have him running an undercover operation in his condition. It was even less of a good idea because he had now reinjured himself. This was a tragedy waiting to happen.

“Bello already knows that Mike is recovering from being shot. He is not expecting him to leap tall buildings in a single bound. He is just going to be sitting in a car and carrying a gun. He can do his job. Mike wants to get Bello as much as the rest of us, Paul.”

Paul said, “Don’t shoot the messenger, Chuck. I am glad the kid is going to be okay. Are you okay? You must be exhausted.”

He reached out to caress her cheek but Charlie sidestepped the motion. Paul pulled his hand back and shoved it back into his pocket. It hurt the way Charlie rejected him so thoroughly.

“This stops now, Paul. We can be friends and colleagues but that is all. I am with Mike and that isn’t going to change. We made a mistake that night.”

Paul said, “Speak for yourself, Charlie. I didn’t make a mistake.”

“Well, I did. I hurt someone that loves me. Mike is going to feel this betrayal for a while and that is my fault. There is no one else for me to blame. We have something great together and I want to see where it goes.”

Paul asked, “What about being afraid of telling Mike the truth about you?”

“I told him and he couldn’t have cared less. He didn’t understand why I was so scared to begin with. He isn’t nearly as vanilla as either one of us thought. Paul I want to be your friend but this have to stop. If not then I think I might need to file for a transfer to the Los Angeles field office. I don’t want to leave Graceland but I will.”

Paul looked on with a shocked expression on his face as Charlie marched back into the hospital. He knew her well enough to know that this wasn’t an idle threat. Paul had to weigh the price of pursuing a relationship with Charlie. If he wasn’t careful he could lose her forever and that wasn’t what he wanted. She kept him grounded and she understood unlike most people. Charlie and Jakes were the only people he truly felt he could be himself with. Although, if he was strictly honest there were parts of him that he hid even from them.

He ran a hand over his face and decided he needed to hit a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in the morning. Paul had no interest in having a relapse because of this situation. At least at the meeting he could unburden himself more fully. He stared after Charlie until she disappeared into the hospital and then walked back to his jeep.

 

 

 


	15. The Truth Doesn't Always Set You Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike comes clean with Charlie.

Charlie stood at the kitchen counter and waited for the teakettle to whistle. She was in the process of making lunch for her and Mike. She made his favorite: toasted ham and cheese sandwich with creamy tomato soup. He had been released from the hospital at 7 AM. They took a cab home to avoid bothering anyone from Graceland. Mike fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow that morning. She was sure that Mike was still probably fast asleep.

After fixing their cups of tea, she carried a tray into the bedroom and had a seat on the side of the bed. She smiled at Mike and said, “I am glad that you are awake. I thought I was going to have to disturb your nap to get some food into you. You need to eat and take your medicine.”

Mike smiled, “I think I’ve had all the sleep that I can handle. Thank you, Charlie.”

She set the tray over his lap and kissed his cheek. She asked, “For what?”

“Thank you for everything. I have made a complete jackass of myself these last couple of days and you have taken it all in stride. I can’t believe I tried to convince you that I could just stitch myself up last night. I am glad that you didn’t listen to me. I forgot all about the blood thinners they gave me at the hospital. I could have bled out right here in this bedroom. I shouldn’t have put you through that.”

Charlie said, “You aren’t solely to blame for yesterday, Mike. I hurt you and I know that even if you are too much of a gentleman to say anything about it. We both could have handled this situation better. I should have put a stop to things last night when you first decided to lift me up off the floor. I don’t know what I was thinking about letting you do that. I knew there was a risk of you tearing those stitches.”

Mike laughed after swallowing a bite of his sandwich. He said, “You were thinking that you might get to have an orgasm and it sounded like a great idea at the time.”

She gave him a sheepish grin and said, “I already had an orgasm last night. You didn’t have to do anything else. You didn’t have anything to prove.”

Mike’s smile disappeared and he said, “I know that you faked it, Charlie. It was as plain as day. I did have something to prove to myself. I wanted to know that I could please you. I know it is petty but that is the truth.”

Charlie sighed and said, “Mike, I am here with you. I’m not without Paul because I don’t want to be. I made a mistake and it is never going to happen again. I know that those words sound a little hollow but…”

“No, they don’t sound hollow to me, Charlie. I wanted to prove it to myself. I want to be able to make you happy and if I can’t then…I shouldn’t waste your time. I don’t want you to be with me because I got shot.”

“Hey, I get to decide what makes me happy and that is you. I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from making such a stupid mistake but I can’t. All that I can do is promise it will never happen again. You are so important to me Mike and this has nothing to with you getting shot. I felt guilty even before I knew what happened to you. I knew it was wrong and I knew it would hurt you. I let my fear get the better of me.”

Mike said, “I want to hit the restart button. I want to treat this as if that night never happened.”

Charlie gave a joyless chuckle, “That’s easier said than done.”

“I know but I’d like to try. I want to put it behind us. I don’t want it to taint what could be something amazing. The first day I met you I knew and I still know that you’re the one.”

She looked into his eyes and saw his sincerity and adoration. It made her heart swell. She kissed him softly and said, “You taste like ham sandwich.”

He laughed heartily and said, “A great ham sandwich if I don’t say so myself. What do you say to hitting the reset button?”

She took a bite of his sandwich and said, “I think I would like that.”

“There is something I need to tell before we hit the reset button. I have been nervous to tell you but I think it is only right. I started to tell you yesterday but then you told me about Paul and everything sort of got out of hand from there. Charlie, there is a reason why I was unexpectedly put into Graceland. I’m investigating Paul.”

Charlie’s eyes widened and she stood up to put space between them. She asked, “You’re a rat?”

It hurt to hear Charlie utter those words. He was no fool. He knew how internal investigations were viewed across all branches of law enforcement. They were seen as ways to jam up good cops and agents. No one seemed to remember the scores of dirty police officers and federal agents that were arrested because of those same investigations. Mike truly believed that clearing out the bad allowed the good ones likes Charlie to shine.

He said, “I didn’t know that was my assignment in the beginning. I just found out that my station request had been denied and I was being sent to Graceland. I barely had time to brush up on my Spanish before they dumped me in Manhattan Beach with all of you. It wasn’t until after the night Paul saved my life that I found out my true assignment. I wasn’t here to be part of the house…I was there to investigate my training officer.”

“I can’t believe this, Mike. How could you? You’re right Paul saved your life and you repay him by investigating him. Have you found anything?”

“Charlie, I am breaking protocol by even telling you about this. You know I can’t disclose any evidence I might have against Paul. I’m only telling you because I don’t want secrets in our relationship.”

Charlie shook her head, “I don’t know that we have a relationship. You’re a liar and you’ve been lying to everyone in Graceland. How the hell am I supposed to trust you?”

Mike said, “Charlie, please this doesn’t change how I feel for you. My feelings for you were never a lie. I am risking my career to tell you this. That is how serious I am about what we have. Please tell me it isn’t for nothing.”

“I can’t do this right now. You’re rat, Mike. You’re trying to arrest a man that I know in my soul is innocent of any crime. He is a damn good agent and you are lucky to have him as your training officer.”

Mike said, “I know that, Charlie. I am not saying that he is not innocent but I have to do my job. It is better for me to investigate him than someone that doesn’t know him at all. I owe Paul my life. I am not going to bring the bureau down on him unless there is real evidence of wrongdoing.”

“Why did you tell me this?”

“Because it has been eating me up inside. I was living in a house full of people but I was still alone because I was lying. When Eddie killed himself I couldn’t even talk to my training officer because I was investigating him and I couldn’t tell him everything that was burdening me. Do you know how hard it has been investigating Paul? ”

The two men still held a secret. They both knew that Paul never saw the man’s gun but his gut told him to take the shot. His instincts were the only reason Mike was still alive. He was grateful to the man and if he was innocent, he still wanted to learn from him because he needed the skills Paul possessed to be able to make those split second tactical decisions.

He stood up and approached Charlie.

She batted his hands away and said, “No, don’t touch me, Mike. I can’t do this right now. I can’t. Worst of all I’m stuck here with you. I can’t believe I begged to get put on this operation with you.”

He nodded and said, “I get it. I knew there was a chance that you would react this way. I guess I just hoped for a different outcome. I wanted the woman I love to be the one person I can be honest with about everything. I am going to get out of your hair. I’ll take the second bedroom.”

Mike walked out of the bedroom feeling heartbroken. He felt stupid for being honest with Charlie. He just wanted the relationship to work and he wanted someone to confide in. Mike walked into the second bedroom and had a seat on the side of the bed. He had made a rookie mistake by being honest with Charlie. It was very likely that she would tell Paul and Mike’s career would be down the toilet. He heard Charlie knock at the bedroom door and he felt his hopes lift.

“Come in.”

Charlie walked in with the tray of food and his medicine. “You still need to eat and take your medicine.”

He got up taking the bottle of pills from the tray. He said, “You don’t have to worry about doing me any favors, Charlie. I can take care of myself from here on out.”

“Don’t be stupid. You just got out of the hospital this morning. You need my help.”

“I don’t want your help,” said Mike.

Charlie was shocked by the cold expression on his face. She knew he was hurting but she felt betrayed. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her. He had forgiven her for her transgression without thought.

“How are you going to cook for yourself? How will change the dressing on your wounds?” asked Charlie.

He said, “I’ll manage, Charlie. Don’t put yourself out on my account. You’ve made your position on the matter crystal clear.”

Charlie asked, “What did you expect me to say, Mike?”

“I don’t know and it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Mike brushed past Charlie and went into the kitchen. He set his pills on the counter and poured himself a glass of orange juice. After taking his pills and drinking his juice, Mike returned to his bedroom.

He saw that Charlie was gone but the tray remained. Mike picked it up and carried it into the kitchen. Afterward he went to the guestroom and locked the door.

Mike laid back on the bed and laughed in a rueful manner. He had singlehandedly destroyed his relationship with Charlie better than Paul ever could.

*                                                        *                                                        *

Later that night Charlie left her bedroom and walked into the kitchen. She saw the discarded tray of food and sighed. Mike was being stubborn and he needed to eat. She warmed up dinner from the previous night and fixed a plate for him.

Charlie walked down the hall to his bedroom and knocked on the door. She became concerned when he didn’t answer her. Charlie tried the knob and realized that the door was locked.

“Mike, are you okay in there?”

“I’m fine,” Mike replied in a sullen voice.

“I see that you didn’t eat lunch. You at least need to eat dinner. Taking those medications on an empty stomach can make you sick.”

Mike opened the door and said, “I ordered a pizza. It’ll be here in 45 minutes. I told you not to trouble yourself with taking care of me, Charlie. You made it clear where we stood this afternoon. I don’t need your pity.”

“It isn’t pity, Mike. I care about you.”

“I get it. You care if I live or die. Well, I took my medicine earlier and I’ll take it again when my pizza arrives. I know how to take care of myself.”

Charlie said, “You are being childish.”

“Really? I think I am showing incredible restraint and maturity. You don’t want anything to do with me so don’t bother yourself. I’m not going to keel over and die without you looking out for me, Charlie. I am capable of getting my own meals and taking my own medicines. I know how to clean and dress a wound. I don’t need you to do any of those things. That’s something a girlfriend would do not a partner. I am going to sit in the living room to wait on my pizza.”

He turned to pick up his wallet and walked out of the room.

Charlie hated the look of pain on Mike’s face. She knew that she put it there. Moreover, she was a hypocrite. Mike took her cheating on him in stride but when he bared his soul, she shut him down and out. 


	16. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When everyone tells lies for a living how can you trust anyone?

Two weeks later Mike and Charlie’s relationship was still at a standstill. They worked the Bello case together but afterward they both retreated to their separate spaces. She agreed not to say a word to Paul until Mike figured out if he was guilty or not. Mike had laid out Agent Badillo’s evidence against Paul and it looked damning. There was no other way to explain the product estimations being so far off the mark in every case. The more Charlie sat with the idea of Paul being dirty, the more it seemed like a possibility. Paul had too many unexplained movements. Sometimes he dropped out of contact for hours at a time when he wasn’t working a case. However, his secretive nature made her the most suspicious. Secrets were part and parcel of being an undercover agent but Paul Briggs had more than most.

Charlie found herself tailing Briggs when she had some downtime in the Bello case. His movements were curious but didn’t reveal much of anything. However, she did realize that he visited the same apartment building in a seedy part of town every couple of days. She debated telling Mike about the place but decided against it until she knew more.

Despite Mike’s injury, he was back driving for Bello. The ever-generous man provided Mike with a state of the art bulletproof vest his first day back at work and a high-powered gun with hollow point bullets. They were a necessary part of the job as Bello was meeting with the Caza Cartel on a regular basis. A shipment was due to come in soon and Bello needed to be prepared. The attempts on his life weren’t just about killing him. It was a coordinated move on his territory.

Mike and Charlie suspected Branson was behind the move but neither had proof of that. However, it fit his pattern. He eliminated his competition and then expanded into their territory. Mike floated the idea to Bello and the man had instantly latched onto it. It was a fortuitous turn of events as it looked like Mike and Charlie would be able to close both of their cases.

That was until the DEA intercepted the Caza Cartel’s submarine that was supposed to contain Bello’s drugs. It was a major blow to Bello’s organization and worse yet it was a major blow to Mike’s case. If they couldn’t bust Bello taking possession of the drugs then they had no case. All looked lost until Mike called an audible in the case and proposed that Bello go looking for his drugs on his own. They could just cut Caza out of the deal.

Normally, Bello wouldn’t have made such a rash decision but his supplies were running low and he was trying valiantly to hold on to his territory. If his supply went, dry Branson and Odin would be the only major players in Southern California.

Mike walked into the apartment he shared with Charlie in Redondo Beach and frowned upon seeing Paul Briggs sitting on the couch. He nodded at the man and closed the door. He went into the kitchen grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and headed toward his bedroom.

Paul stood up and said, “Mikey, I’m here to see you.”

The younger man turned around and asked, “You are?”

“Yeah, we need to talk about that audible you called with Bello. What the hell were you thinking?” asked Paul.

Mike swallowed his mouthful of beer and said, “I was thinking that we need to catch Bello with drugs in hand. There is no better way to do it than having him go out there and get them. I made the best out of a bad situation, Briggs. Our investigation hinges on catching him with a massive quantity of heroin.”

“I know that, but you promised to get one of your Navy Seal buddies to conduct the search. The only problem is that you aren’t really in the Marines! Where are you going to find someone that fits the bill?”

Mike took his gun from his holster and placed it on the coffee table. He had a seat in a chair and said, “I figured Johnny fit the bill. He trained with the Navy Seals. He talks about it all the time. You don’t think he could pull it off?”

Paul sighed and said, “Well, Johnny would be a good fit but there is only one thing wrong.”

Mike unbuttoned his shirt and took off his bulletproof vest, “What’s that?”

“When you vouch for someone you are staking your life and theirs on their ability to do the job. If Johnny fails Bello is going to shoot both of you in the head,” said Paul.

The younger man swallowed the beer in his mouth and said, “Well, I guess Johnny had better do a pretty good job. Are you going to loop him in on this or should I?”

Paul said, “I don’t know what is going on with you, but playing fast and loose with people’s lives is a dangerous game.”

Mike said, “I’m not playing fast and loose, Briggs. We want to shut Bello down before innocent people start getting hurt. There have been three more attempts on his life and someone is encroaching on his territory. It won’t be long until there is innocent blood on the streets. I’m just trying to stop that from happening.”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with you and Charlie being on the outs?” asked Paul.

He had seen the argument go down between the two of them. Unfortunately, the sound quality of the one camera he placed in their bedroom was shitty. He placed it opposite the bed so that he had a good view but that wasn’t conducive for picking up the best sound. He wasn’t altogether sure what the argument had been about. What he did know was that they hadn’t shared that bedroom since the argument. Although they were keeping the situation quiet, it seemed they were done.

Mike ground his teeth in anger but then smiled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Briggs.”

He assumed that Charlie had spilled the beans about their breakup. Although he didn’t know if you could even call it that. They weren’t speaking to each other on a personal level and therefore had not officially ended their relationship.

“I’m not the enemy here. I’m your training officer, Mike. I know I’ve been an asshole but you aren’t yourself. You can talk to me.”

Mike said, “No, I can’t talk to you because you are in love with my girlfriend.”

“If it is such a problem then why haven’t you asked for another training officer?” asked Briggs.

“Despite you being an asshole you’re a good training officer. You have the experience and talent that some guys would kill for. I am just hoping that shine will rub off on me. My goal is to get to D.C. one day and I wouldn’t mind being Briggs 2.0.”

Paul was shocked by the answer because it sounded genuine. Mike really did respect his talents as an agent even after what he’d done.

Mike asked, “Are we done here? I was going to change clothes and then go to the gym for awhile to work out.”

This was becoming his pattern. He would work with Bello, go to the bureau to do paperwork, and then work out. He was taking it easy because he didn’t want to reinjure himself but he needed to get back into top form. It also gave him an excuse to stay away from the apartment and Charlie until it was time to sleep. It was awkward but they were making it work because they were both good agents.

Briggs said, “I’ll talk to Johnny about playing an ex-Seal. We’ll figure out a time that everyone can meet to discuss the particulars of the operation.”

Mike nodded, “Thanks, Briggs.”

He walked out of the room and went to his bedroom feeling smug. Briggs had involved himself in the case without Mike having to pull his strings. He would be on hand when they busted Bello with the heroin and then Mike would have his proof. Either Briggs was skimming drugs or he wasn’t but one way or the other he was going to find out.

Charlie walked out of her room hearing Mike’s bedroom door close. She asked, “Did you two get everything for the operation sorted?”

“More or less. Apparently, he had Johnny in mind when he suggested an ex-seal friend to do the job. I’m going to have a word with Johnny tonight and see what we can put together.”

“Well, let me know if you need me to do anything on my end.”

He said, “Just keep your lines of communication with Branson open. We may need him at some point to up the pressure on Bello.”

Charlie looked shocked. “Paul, we think Branson is the one trying to kill Bello. Trying to force Branson’s hand to do any more is like throwing gasoline on the fire. Someone could get hurt.”

“I am not saying it is a certainty but it may be necessary.”

She nodded, “Are you making any headway on Odin?”

He said, “Some. I’ve tracked down his biggest buyer. The trouble is that we both know this guy.”

“Who is it?”

Paul tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch. “Quinn.”

Charlie’s eyebrow went up in surprise. “Well, that is a blast from the past. Eric and Katie…”

“Yeah, if I’m making the approach it is going to be as Eric. He’ll remember me.”

She sighed, “That’s the thing I hate about being undercover. You never know when an identity from the past is going to show up and bite you in the ass. Do you need my help?”

Paul was salivating at the idea of getting back in the field with Charlie. He had no interest in trying to have sex with her right now. He just wanted to make sure they still had a friendship to salvage when this was all over. The two agents were never more in harmony than when they were together in the field.

She nodded. “Just let me know where and when and I’m in. This is the closest we’ve gotten to finding someone that knows Odin personally.”

He nodded. “Everything okay here? The kid seemed off when he came in.”

She shrugged. “He’s fine. Mike has just been keeping to himself lately. You know how long it can take to right yourself after being shot. He’s taking it in stride.”

She knew they were in a bad place but Charlie did not intend to betray Mike’s secret.

Paul nodded and then stood up. “Well, I should get out of here. I need to see Johnny. I’ll talk to you about the Quinn meeting soon.”

Charlie walked him to the door and said, “See you around.”

“Yeah.”

She closed the door and then went into the kitchen. She was slowly beginning to understand the pressure Mike was under the whole time he lived in Graceland. She was living a lie. Charlie smiled at Paul and pretended to be his friend but at the same time, she was investigating him. She didn’t trust him and now she’d agreed to go back out into the field with him.

Charlie started working on dinner. She needed something to eat and then she intended to investigate the seedy apartment she saw Paul ducking into last week.

Mike walked into the kitchen to get another bottle of beer and paused seeing Charlie there. After regaining his senses, he walked to the refrigerator and picked up the last bottle of beer.

“I’ll pick up some more beer on my way home from the gym. Do you need me to pick up anything else?” asked Mike.

“Oh, we need more milk, deli ham, onions, garlic, Swiss cheese, and I need three cans of San Marzano tomatoes.”

He chuckled, “Text it to my phone or I’ll forget. I’m about to go to the gym now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been out of commission for awhile because the power cord on my laptop died. I'm glad to be back.


	17. Undercover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie decides to follow a hunch.

Charlie was relieved when Mike left the house for his workout. She wanted to be able to go investigate Paul’s mysterious pied-à-terre without explaining her conspicuous absence or interesting choice of attire.

The agent wore a pair of faded dark denim jeans, a ratty old t-shirt, and one of Mike’s oversized hooded sweatshirts. Charlie’s skuzzy wardrobe would allow her to blend seamlessly into the background of the seedy neighborhood. Moreover, she needed something to obscure her identity in case she had the unfortunate luck to cross paths with Paul.

She was grateful for the light traffic and silence in the car as she drove across town. Charlie felt guilty for investigating Paul but her gut was telling her that there was more to his story. She wanted to share her findings with Mike but only after, she had concrete evidence. Charlie held out hope for a reasonable explanation for his shady movements.

She had come to terms with Mike doing his job. The truth of the matter was friend or not if Paul was dirty then she wanted him behind bars with the rest of the skells. One bad apple could and often did tarnish the appearance of entire agencies. You only had to look at outfits like the LAPD to know that was true. The department employed thousands of upstanding community servants but a couple dozen assholes made the entire department look corrupt. Charlie believed in the work they were doing and she couldn’t let a fellow agent jeopardize everything.

Charlie slowed to a stop down the block from the rundown apartment building. She didn’t want to park out front just in case Paul showed up unannounced. There would be no explaining her presence and making up a confidential informant on the fly would be a transparent ruse.

She quietly slipped from the car and jaywalked across the street avoiding the small group of young men standing idly on the street corner laughing and singing some popular song. Charlie entered the quiet building relatively unnoticed and made her way up to the apartment she had seen Paul enter several times now.

The first time she followed him to the location she sat outside for nearly five hours. She half expected to find him meeting with a woman. It wouldn’t have been the first time an agent crossed the line with a female confidential informant. However, after he left the apartment she knocked and realized no one was home. The second time Charlie followed him she broke into the vacant apartment next door and tried listening at the wall for voices but all she heard was the TV playing.

Tonight she didn’t see his car outside so Charlie assumed it was probably safe to enter. She removed a lock pick set from her back pocket and made quick work of the complicated lock. It was definitely out of place in a building of this caliber. In neighborhoods like this, the property owners were hardly ever security conscious. Most thought bars on the windows were sufficient. It seemed silly to spend a lot of money on a hearty lock. It became apparent that Paul had taken it upon himself to replace the cheap lock.

The rusted hinges on the flimsy door creaked painfully loud as she entered the apartment. Charlie took out her flashlight and her gun and quietly closed the door behind her. Slowly she shined the light around the studio apartment looking for occupants. It was a dangerous prospect to clear an apartment on your own but it was necessary under the circumstances. She couldn’t exactly ask another agent to accompany her on the non-sanctioned investigation of another agent.

Charlie successfully cleared the apartment in a matter of minutes and then began to search the sparsely furnished place. Despite the walls, being dingy from years of disrepair and lack of decent paint job the place was tidy. Everything had a place. The bed was made and the apartment was clean. There were cheap men’s clothing hanging in the closet and cheaper pairs of shoes lined the floor.

Charlie opened the kitchen cabinets and found a smattering of food products that could have been there 10 hours or 10 months. Inside of the refrigerator, there were half eaten containers of Chinese food. Charlie opened a container of beef and broccoli and gave it a quick sniff. She noted that it was still good and had probably been delivered in the last couple of days. She searched the bag hoping for a credit card receipt but only found a takeout menu. She quickly entered the number into her cell phone and decided to follow-up with the take-out restaurant later.

Charlie was about to search the bathroom medicine cabinet when she heard heavy footsteps approaching the apartment. She stopped moving and removed her gun from her waistband.

She heard the person stop in front of the apartment and keys quietly jingle. Charlie looked around the room for a good hiding place. She had no business there and no warrant. She was an intruder and identifying herself as a FBI agent was just as likely to get her shot. Charlie opted for sliding underneath the queen-sized bed and hoping the person had no reason to look underneath.

Charlie had barely gotten settled in her hiding place when the door to the apartment opened an the room was flooded with light from the hallway. The door closed once again blanketing the room in darkness.

The new arrival didn’t bother turning on the lights. He moved around the place with familiarity. His first stop was the kitchen.

Charlie heard the refrigerator open and the telltale hiss of a beer being opened. The person sat on the bed and flipped on the television.

She removed her phone from her pocket and sent a text to Mike.

*May be in trouble. Start heading toward Lennox. Will explain later.*

The time ticked away slowly and she grew more nervous. She couldn’t stay hidden for the entire night. However, 30 minutes in the occupant’s phone started to ring.

“Hello? Yeah, I’ve been waiting for your call."

Charlie recognized Paul’s voice straight away and strained to hear his conversation.

"Let’s meet at the normal place. I’ll be there in 20.”

Paul turned off the television and left the apartment.

Charlie stayed in her hiding place for 10 minutes before sliding out from under the bed. 

 

 


	18. Goal!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie confides in someone she can still trust.

As Charlie exited the building, she pulled the hood of the sweatshirt over her head and shuffled away from the curb. When she finally made it back to her car, she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. That was a narrow escape by anyone’s standards.

She looked at her phone to see she’d missed three messages from Mike.

*On my way. What’s going on?*

*Charlie? Are you okay?*

*I’m in Lennox. Where are you? If you don’t call me soon I am going to have the bureau track your phone.*

Charlie quickly dialed Mike’s phone hoping to stop him from doing anything drastic.

He answered on the first ring. “Charlie?! Where are you? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine. It was a false alarm. Meet me at Angelina’s Cantina on Hawthorne Boulevard. We need to talk about something.”

“You scared me half to death, Charlie. I thought… I thought you were in trouble. I’ll see you at the cantina.”

Charlie ended the call and pulled away from the curb. She felt a knot forming in her stomach after hearing Mike’s panicked voice. Charlie felt herself regretting the decision to send him a message at all. She could have texted Johnny but then again he would have been just as excitable as Mike.

She knew her way around the neighborhood well and in no time, at all she pulled up at Angelina’s Cantina. The patrons inside were loud enough to be heard outside. Charlie stepped out of her car and got ready to walk into the cantina when she heard a whistle. She turned around to see Mike standing next to his car.

Mike stepped out into the street and looked both ways before beckoning Charlie to come across.

She quickly jogged across the street.

On instinct, Mike pulled Charlie into a hug. His heart was still racing. He didn’t know what to think when he received the vague text message from her. Worse yet his mind start conjuring up a myriad of horrible scenarios when she didn’t respond to him. He didn’t care about the tension in their personal relationship right now. Charlie’s safety was all that mattered to him.

As Mike slowly calmed down, he realized he’d been holding Charlie for an inordinate amount of time in the middle of the street. However, the older agent didn’t seem in any rush to end the embrace. Finally, Mike let Charlie go.

He said, “The cantina is packed wall-to-wall tonight. There is a huge soccer match between Mexico and Argentina. No one is going to miss that game. Let’s talk in the car.”

Charlie nodded and slid into the passenger seat. She owed him an explanation and nothing but the truth would suffice.

Moments later Mike was in the car too looking at Charlie expectantly. He asked, “What’s going on?”

She sighed, “If I tell you this you have to promise me that it stays between us until I have concrete evidence.”

He raised an eyebrow at the request but replied, “Scouts honor.”

“After you told me that you were investigating Paul I was angry at you. I was furious that you would put be in such a hard situation. Paul is my friend and I felt like I should tell him that he was being targeted but then I started to really think about some of his more curious behaviors. More than that, the evidence about the drug seizures being several kilos light every time was enough to make me suspicious. I decided to investigate Paul, too. I followed him to a rundown apartment building in this area. He comes here a couple times a week sometimes more. I broke into that apartment tonight to have a look around. I think it is his apartment. He wasn’t meeting anyone there. However, he did get a call while I was hiding in the apartment. He went to meet someone but I couldn’t risk following after coming so close to getting caught.”

Mike felt his jaw go slack as he stared at Charlie in disbelief. Once he regained his senses, his jaw tightened to the point of breaking.

He ground out, “I can’t believe you did something so stupid.”

Charlie’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“I didn’t stutter, Charlie! You went there with no back up and no one even knew where you were tonight! You had no idea what you might have been walking into! Someone could have been in the apartment. Someone other than Paul might have found you hiding and what do you think they would have done to a nosey fed in their apartment without a warrant?!”

She rolled her eyes. “I know that! I don’t need a lecture. I know that it was stupid but an internal affairs investigation is serious, Mike. I just needed to know there was truly a fire. After tonight, I think there is one. Paul doesn’t have any open investigations that require a cover apartment. I checked. The apartment looks lived in. I think it is his place.”

“Why would he keep an apartment off book?” asked Mike.

“I can’t think of any good reasons…”

Mike sighed and closed his eyes. He leaned his head back against the headrest and gripped the steering wheel as he tried to process the new information. He wanted to get into that apartment to have a look around but it was too dangerous.

Charlie said, “I’m sorry Mike.”

He asked, “For what?”

“For getting so angry with you about investigating Paul. You are just doing your job. We all get assignments from the bureau and it is our duty to carry them out. I guess on the one hand I felt lied to by you but more than that, I started to question my own judgment. I’ve known Paul for a long time and we were romantically involved. What kind of agent am I if I was sleeping with a dirty agent and didn’t know it?”

Mike shook his head. “You can’t think like that, Charlie. If Paul is dirty then he has a lot of people fooled, including higher ups in the bureau. I mean we all go through psychological assessments and profiles. No one caught on until the numbers started not to add up. We’re agents but nowhere in the description does it say we are mind readers.”

“I know but I guess what I am saying is that I took it personal. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry for how strained things have been between us. I shouldn’t have shut you out like that. I know you took a big risk and broke protocol to be honest with me. I shouldn’t have thrown that back in your face. It wasn’t fair to you and it wasn’t very mature of me.”

He was stunned that Charlie was genuinely apologizing and that she understood why it all hurt him so much.

He said, “I knew the risks when I told you the truth, Charlie. The truth is I kept a major secret from you and whatever the reasons…our relationship was built on a shaky foundation. It was a catch-22. Do I tell you the truth and risk losing you or keep lying to the woman I am falling in love with? I know I picked the wrong answer as an agent but I felt like I picked the right answer as a boyfriend.”

Charlie smiled and covered his hand with her own. “You did pick the right answer. I would rather the two of us be completely honest with one another. We tell so many lies everyday to so many different people I would like to be able to come home to the one person I can be completely honest with. So do you forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you, Charlie. I dropped a bombshell on your life. I shouldn’t have expected you to accept it with open arms straight away.”

She asked, “Does this mean we’re okay?”

“Better than,” Mike replied.

“Does this mean that you’ll come back to our bed?” asked Charlie.

He chuckled, “Yes, I’ll come back to our bed. I miss you hogging all of the blankets in the middle of the night.”

She smirked and shrugged. “I get cold in the middle of the night.”

“You’re telling me? Your feet are like tiny icicles digging into me.”

“I just burrow them underneath you for the extra warmth. You are always warm in the middle of the night.”

He chuckled, “I’ve always been warm-natured.”

Charlie smiled and slid her fingers between his. She took a breath and said, “In the spirit of full-disclosure I should tell you that I will be running an undercover operation with Paul. It should only be a few meets but…we’ll be playing a couple.”

Mike took it in stride. “When did this come up?”

“Paul told me this afternoon that he was going to have to use one of his old cover ids to get in with this dealer we used to know. He’s pushing some high grade smack from the supplier Odin. The bureau has been looking to put a face to this guy’s name for a few years and we keep coming up empty. This guy is like a ghost. No one sees him. No one knows his real name. Well, Quinn is one of Odin’s biggest customers. He knows how much product Quinn has. He figured we’d ask to buy more than Quinn can supply. Briggs is hoping that means he will have to set up a meeting with Odin for us. Quinn knows Paul as Eric and me as Katie.”

Mike said, “That’s good.”

Charlie heard the tone in his voice and asked, “What are you thinking, Mikey?”

He said, “Well, that’s two opportunities to get a large quantity of drugs in Briggs’ hands. Johnny is onboard so this deal with Bello will go down soon. We’re going to retrieve his product that the cartel jettisoned before being apprehended. It should be a huge haul. Once Bello has the drugs in hand, we’ll bust him and Briggs will be there and alone with the drugs. Your operation is a second opportunity to put a large quantity of drugs in Paul’s hands. If either bust comes up light, we’ll know that he’s skimming drugs. If both busts are clean and the tallies are on point then I’ll submit my report to Agent Badillo and let him know I think Paul is clean.”

Charlie said, “I don’t know. There is still the off-book apartment.”

Mike said, “It may just be a place for him to crash. Graceland is great but sometimes there isn’t a moment’s peace. We don’t know what he’s using the apartment for.”

“I guess that is true. Paul and I used to meet up at a hotel but he was always concerned we’d get spotted by a suspect, an informant, or another agent. There are too many variables when you are checking into a hotel room.”

Mike said, “And it probably has cheap rent in such a bad neighborhood. It was be easy to pay the rent and not raise any flags in your financial records. A couple hundred bucks should cover the rent for that place.”

“We’ll play it by ear and see how it all goes. Are you hungry?”

He said, “Starving. Working out with Johnny really made me work up an appetite. He pushed me a lot harder than I thought he would but it was good. I want to be back to normal sooner rather than later. Do you want to grab a bite to eat at a restaurant?”

“Yeah, Johnny is a beast in the gym. I was actually thinking we could eat the dinner I cooked at home.”

“Sounds good.”

Charlie kissed his cheek. “I’ll follow you home.”

She slipped out of the car and crossed the street to get back to her car. As Charlie started the engine, she heard her phone chime. She looked down and saw a message from Paul.

*We’re meeting with Quinn tomorrow at 10 PM*

Things were about to get very interesting fast. She just hoped she was ready to learn the truth. There was part of her that hoped Paul would turn out to be innocent. However, the shrewd investigator in her knew that was highly unlikely.


End file.
